First launched in 2016 and initially mocked as “foolish,” the device has proved effective after rental trials, with around 330 now deployed across Japan.

Its infrared sensors activate when animals approach, triggering flashing lights and a rotating mix of 50 sounds, including wolf cries and human voices. The audio was built using artificial intelligence and copyright-free material to ensure variety so that bears do not become used to a single warning.

Ohta Seiki Co, the Hokkaido company behind the Monster Wolf, said inquiries for the mechanical animal have tripled, including from overseas. One request from India even asked whether the device might work on elephants. 

Company president Yuji Ota said bears typically avoid anything that signals human activity. The firm is now developing mobile and portable versions to help residents fend off bears during hikes or in remote communities.

This, after Japan’s bear problem took a serious and deadly turn this year. 

At least 13 people have been killed and more than 100 injured since April, according to the Ministry of Environment, the highest toll since records began in 2006. Authorities in northern prefectures have deployed troops, drones, and early-warning systems as sightings climb sharply.

Both brown bears, found mainly in Hokkaido, and Asiatic black bears, more common in the densely populated mainland, have been involved in the attacks. Experts say black bear encounters are more frequent due to their wider distribution, while brown bear attacks tend to be more severe because of their size and strength. 

Bear encounters in Akita alone have risen sixfold this year, with more than 50 people attacked since May, often in residential areas. In one November case, a bear injured two women in Gojome Town after one tried to help the other. Other attacks have occurred in farms and even inside a supermarket in central Japan.

The United States warned citizens of increased bear activity near populated zones, noting the temporary closure of Sapporo’s Maruyama Park after a sighting. The United Kingdom advised travellers to avoid forested areas unless accompanied and to properly dispose of food waste.

With communities overwhelmed, some officials say the situation has surpassed their capacity to cope. Akita’s governor warned that exhaustion among local responders “is reaching its limit.”

Whether a robo-wolf can succeed where electric fences and patrols have struggled remains to be seen. But for now, Japan is hoping that a mechanical monster might help keep the real ones away.

Namibia and other southern African countries have built up large stockpiles of rhino horn due to decades of dehorning, a practice meant to deter poachers by safely removing horns, which later grow back. Namibia argued that selling these stockpiles could raise money for conservation and ease the financial pressure on both the government and private rhino owners, who spend heavily on security.

Why countries say no

Opponents warned that legal trade would encourage demand in Asian markets, making it easier for illegally obtained horn to enter the system. Conservation groups also pointed to declining rhino numbers; black rhinos, just 6,421 left in the wild; Southern white rhinos, 15,752, their lowest level in nearly 20 years. Namibia recorded a record 87 rhinos killed in 2022, and more than 8,000 have been poached across Africa in the last decade.

The international ban , in place since 1977, remains unchanged, and Namibia is expected to keep its horn stockpiles.

In addition to the tracking systems, the Ministry will distribute 40,000 cold bombs, non-lethal explosive devices designed to deter elephants from encroaching on farms and villages, across key conflict zones.

“This technology-driven approach is designed to protect both people and wildlife while improving conservation management nationwide,” Dr. Chana told lawmakers. She emphasised that the government’s goal is to create a safer coexistence between communities and wildlife, particularly in areas bordering national parks and protected reserves.

The initiative forms part of Tanzania’s 2022–2026 National Wildlife Corridor Rescue Action Plan, which prioritises the safeguarding of crucial migratory routes. The Ministry will also launch public awareness campaigns in communities located along wildlife corridors to encourage coexistence and conservation stewardship.

In Anuradhapura, authorities conducted surveys as part of the initiative, officials said.

Around 40,000 local officials were deployed on Saturday morning to record wild boar, lorises, peacocks, and monkeys near farms and homes within a five-minute window.