3
3
0
With gleaming red eyes, bone-chilling howls and bared fangs, animals scatter for cover at the sight of this beast.
But this is no ordinary wolf - or even a real one.
Originally designed to keep wild animals away from farms, authorities now use this mechanical wolf to stop bears from entering urban areas and attacking people.
The Monster Wolf was first used in Takikawa city in the autumn of 2020, according to Motohiro Miyasaka, president of its manufacturer, Wolf Kamuy. Since then, more and more local governments have ordered it.
The number of bear attacks in Japan has been rising at an alarming rate, authorities say.
Experts say the main reason is that people, particularly young people, are leaving rural farming villages. Many of them have migrated to big cities, emptying villages or towns that have already been shrinking due to an ageing population.
"More and more, rural farmlands in the foothills that once acted as buffer zones between the bears and humans are disappearing," said Shinsuke Koike, a professor at the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology whose research centres on bears, biodiversity, and forest ecosystems.
As a result, young bears have over the decades moved into the untended woodlands, living closer to cities, getting used to bright lights and loud noises, and becoming less afraid of humans.
But this is no ordinary wolf - or even a real one.
Originally designed to keep wild animals away from farms, authorities now use this mechanical wolf to stop bears from entering urban areas and attacking people.
The Monster Wolf was first used in Takikawa city in the autumn of 2020, according to Motohiro Miyasaka, president of its manufacturer, Wolf Kamuy. Since then, more and more local governments have ordered it.
The number of bear attacks in Japan has been rising at an alarming rate, authorities say.
Experts say the main reason is that people, particularly young people, are leaving rural farming villages. Many of them have migrated to big cities, emptying villages or towns that have already been shrinking due to an ageing population.
"More and more, rural farmlands in the foothills that once acted as buffer zones between the bears and humans are disappearing," said Shinsuke Koike, a professor at the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology whose research centres on bears, biodiversity, and forest ecosystems.
As a result, young bears have over the decades moved into the untended woodlands, living closer to cities, getting used to bright lights and loud noises, and becoming less afraid of humans.
Bears versus robot wolves in ageing Japan
Posted from bbc.com
Robots
Japan
Wildlife
Posted 8 mo ago
Responses: 1
2
2
0
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."They are wandering into residential areas because their habitat has expanded from the mountains into the flatlands closer to human populations.
Ferocious brown bears are found in the northernmost region of Hokkaido. Over the past six decades, there have been more than 150 bear attacks in Hokkaido.
At least four people were killed and 10 were injured in 2021 - one of the deadliest years on record.
Asian black bears populate the rest of Japan. They are identified by the cream-coloured crescent mark on their chests, and are less aggressive, but not any less dangerous.
Japan's bear population is also increasing at a time when Japan's human population is ageing and shrinking. Government data estimates there are around 12,000 brown bears in the Hokkaido region, while some experts put the Asian black bear population at around 10,000.",,,
..."They are wandering into residential areas because their habitat has expanded from the mountains into the flatlands closer to human populations.
Ferocious brown bears are found in the northernmost region of Hokkaido. Over the past six decades, there have been more than 150 bear attacks in Hokkaido.
At least four people were killed and 10 were injured in 2021 - one of the deadliest years on record.
Asian black bears populate the rest of Japan. They are identified by the cream-coloured crescent mark on their chests, and are less aggressive, but not any less dangerous.
Japan's bear population is also increasing at a time when Japan's human population is ageing and shrinking. Government data estimates there are around 12,000 brown bears in the Hokkaido region, while some experts put the Asian black bear population at around 10,000.",,,
(2)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google