Japanese officials contending with an increasingly aggressive bear population are leaning heavily on a creative solution to stop attacks before they begin. No, it’s not a seasonal Spirit Halloween prop; it’s a Monster Wolf.
You could be forgiven for mistaking the two. Like the robocharacters that populate showroom floors each fall, “Monster Wolf” is a pretty intimidating-looking animatronic with a metal frame draped in shaggy fur, glowing red eyes, a rotating head and something akin to a roar that plays through a set of accompanying speakers.
Described by Hokkaido-based manufacturer Ohta Seiki as an “eco-friendly wildlife repellent device,” Monster Wolf is a solar-powered robot scarecrow that looks more like a werewolf. Using a combination of motion sensors, flashing LED lights and more than 50 “threatening sounds,” the robot has become a boon to Japanese farmers, landowners and anti-bear crusaders looking to scare off wildlife since it hit the market seven years ago.
It has worked so well, in fact, its makers are having trouble keeping it in stock.
A robot called Monster Wolf, equipped with sensors that can detect wildlife, is installed in an effort to scare away bears that have become an increasingly dangerous nuisance near farms, in Takikawa, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan October 17, 2024.
“We make them by hand. We cannot make them fast enough now. We are asking our customers to wait two to three months,” company president Yuji Ohta told AFP.
Ohta Seiki has received 50 orders and counting in 2026, it told the news agency, an abnormally high number for this time of year. Monster Wolf robots generally cost around 514,000 yen, or approximately $4,000 to $4,840 USD per unit, the BBC reported.
“Awareness of bear safety and measures against wildlife damage (on farm products) improved. There was also a growing recognition that our product is effective in dealing with bears,” Ohta said.
Bear attacks in Japan reach an alarming high
Lethal bear attacks became a headline-making issue in Japan in 2025, when 13 people were killed nationwide across 100 attacks. This was more than twice the previously reported high, according to AFP. In total, approximately 50,000 bear sightings were reported, more than double the highest number recorded over the previous two years, per the outlet.
One deadly attack and two suspected attacks have been confirmed in 2026 so far.
Monster Wolf figures have been used to deter increasingly aggressive bears in Japan.
Scientists speculated that the uptick in attacks has been driven by a growing bear population, coupled with the year’s bad acorn harvest, USA TODAY previously reported. These conditions created an area “overcrowded with hungry bears,” driving the large animals to populated areas in search of food.
In an effort to combat the crisis, the country deployed soldiers to hard-hit areas in late 2025. The U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Japan also issued an emergency alert to Americans in the country in November, telling them to avoid affected areas.
Ohta Seiki plans to upgrade its Monster Wolf offerings by putting them on wheels, effectively allowing them to patrol or even chase animals, the company told AFP. It’s also developing a handheld version for hikers, schoolchildren and others on the go.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: ‘Monster Wolf’ robots deployed in Japan amid spike in bear attacks