Ohta Seiki's $4,000 Monster Wolf Draws 50 Orders as Japan Bear Deaths Hit 13
Updated
Updated · CBS New York · May 13
Ohta Seiki's $4,000 Monster Wolf Draws 50 Orders as Japan Bear Deaths Hit 13
11 articles · Updated · CBS New York · May 13
Around 50 orders have already hit Ohta Seiki in 2026 for its Monster Wolf deterrent—more than the company usually gets in a full year—forcing customers to wait two to three months.
The surge follows Japan's deadliest run of bear attacks on record: 13 people killed and more than 200 injured in 2025-2026, with the first fatal attack of 2026 reported last week alongside two other suspected deaths.
More than 50,000 bear sightings were logged nationwide, over double the previous record, while bears were reported near schools, airports and hot spring resorts; culls nearly tripled to an all-time high of 14,601.
Priced from about $4,000, the hand-built robot uses flashing red eyes, head movements and 50-plus sounds audible up to 1 kilometer to scare off bears, and Ohta is now developing wheeled and handheld versions.
Scientists link the worsening encounters to expanding bear populations and rural depopulation, which has opened more territory to the animals and raised demand from farmers, golf courses and other rural workers.
Japan's answer to its bear crisis is a robot wolf. What happens when the bears adapt?
As robotic wolves guard emptying towns, is Japan ceding its countryside back to nature?
Japan’s Unprecedented Bear Crisis (2025–2026): Record Attacks, Government Response, and Technological Solutions
Overview
Japan is facing an unprecedented bear crisis from 2025 to 2026, marked by a sharp rise in bear sightings and attacks, especially in north-east Japan and Hokkaido. Overcrowding has forced bears out of their traditional mountain habitats and into areas where people live, causing widespread anxiety. Japan now ranks highest in the world for bear attacks. The crisis escalated with dangerous incidents during population-control hunts, highlighting the serious threat bears pose when they enter human spaces. This situation has prompted urgent government action and new strategies to protect residents and manage bear populations.