Overview
- Ohta Seiki, which told AFP Wednesday it had about 50 orders this year, says buyers now face a two to three-month wait for its Monster Wolf units.
- Monster Wolf is a motion‑triggered robot scarecrow with red LED eyes, a rotating head, and speakers that blast more than 50 threat sounds, and it sells for roughly $4,000 with solar power and sensors.
- Orders are coming mainly from farmers, golf-course operators, and rural outdoor workers seeking to keep bears away from fields, job sites, and public spaces.
- The company plans wheeled versions that can patrol set routes or chase animals, a handheld model for hikers and schoolchildren, and it is exploring AI camera integration for future units.
- The rush follows record bear activity in 2025–2026 with 13 deaths, over 50,000 sightings, and 14,601 bears culled, with some northern regions in April reporting more than four times last year’s sightings as animals left hibernation.