This Robot Wolf Protects the Crops of Japanese Farmers

There is a true but sad story that took place in Japan over the past 200 years. Early in the 1800s, there was a problem with wolves. There were so many in the country that officials decided that something had to be done to control them and eliminate the threats that they presented. A campaign was launched to completely eradicate them from the island country. Little thought was put into the actions and the slaughter of native Japanese wolves ensued.

The results and the consequences

The Japanese wolf eradication program was a total success, or at least they thought it was at the time. What actually happened is that wolves in Japan became extinct. While this rid the inhabitants of one problem, it created one that was just as bad or possibly worse. A disruption in nature’s food chain took a natural predator out of the equation and it gave rise to an overpopulation of deer and wild boar. These creatures multiplied rapidly and without the wolves to thin the populations they thrived, but they needed to find additional food resources to sustain the size of their herds. The new problem that arose from man’s interfering with the natural order of things was damage to crops from the large populations of deer and boar.

Alternative solutions

Perhaps the wisest thing for the Japanese to do in retrospect would have been to thin out the wolf population instead of killing it completely off. In the 1800s conservationist notions were not as well understood as they are today. The past cannot be changed, but something could be done to address the current problem. With the knowledge that wiping out a species brings about disastrous consequences, thee Japanese came up with a more eco-friendly solution in the development of a robot wolf.

Inspired by nature and make horrifying by man

The new robot wolf was the perfect solution that in some form, resurrects the terror of the natural predator in an attempt to scare the deer and boar away from farmer’s crops. This mechanical canine has been in use at farms near the Japanese Kisarazu City. The mechanical wonder has been dubbed “Super Monster Wolf,” and it’s a frightening spectacle that has proven to be successful for its intended purpose in the initial test run.

Orders are rushing in

When news of the effectiveness of the robot wolf in scaring off wildlife without harming them spread, farmers started clamoring and established a high demand for the new mechanical crop defender. According to Ashai Television, mass production of the new robot wolf is set to begin next month because of the high demand. Each wolf can cover a 1 kilometer radius effectively. This wolf doesn’t walk around or attack, (thankfully), it just remains immobile in the spot that it’s set up originally.

The high cost of crop defense

A single robowolf will sell in Japan for 514,000 yen. This is the equivalent of $4,840 in USD. It’s a high price to pay for a single machine that is a realistic looking reproduction of a wolf, but it’s far more effective than any scarecrow you could make at home. The size is at scale with an average wolf, measuring 2.2 feet long but it can perform some amazing feats that are strong deterrents for wildlife of all types. It’s crafted with white fangs, realistic tufts of hair and an infrared ray sensor that detects the presence of any intruders. It makes a variety of different sounds when triggered, including a human voice, howling and a gunshot. This is enough to deter any hungry deer and spare the nearby crops. It comes equipped with solar rechargeable batteries that make it self-sustaining. This robot wolf protects the crops of Japanese farmers and does it well.

What the Japanese learned

It pays to think before taking any action that disturbs the natural chain in an environment. Removing one species whether it be plant or animal can have a chain reaction that carries with it, sometimes dire consequences. Their latest efforts show a thoughtful plan that is being executed with extreme care for nature and the creatures involved in the problem. Instead of wiping out an entire species, they’re simply managing them in a human way that also protects the people from the damage that wild animals were causing to their food sources.