In Japan's ongoing war against the bears, they've had a lot of setbacks:
Mass casualties:
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(That number rose to 13 by the end of the year).
An ineffective military response:
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Food shortages:
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And yet, hope rose with the advent of Ohta Seiki‘s robot Monster Wolves, which seemed effective in scaring off the bears.
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However, according to The Independent, Seiki is having difficulty keeping up with demand.
Ohta Seiki, a company based in Hokkaido, has already received about 50 orders for its 'Monster Wolf' device this year, more than the typical volume for an entire year.
'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.
When you're staring down a hungry bear, the last thing you want to do is wait two to three months to get your wolf robot!
Orders for the Monster Wolves mostly come from farmers, golf course operators, and people working outdoors like construction workers.
Seiki is also working on a new version of the Monster Wolf that includes wheels, so they can chase the bears and patrol farms.
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They also want to add AI and give the Monster Wolves a brain.
I'm sure this will all end well!
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