Japanese officials contending with an increasingly aggressive bear population are leaning heavily on a creative solution to stop attacks before they begin. No, it's not a seasonal Spirit Halloween prop; it's a Monster Wolf.

You could be forgiven for mistaking the two. Like the robocharacters that populate showroom floors each fall, "Monster Wolf" is a pretty intimidating-looking animatronic with a metal frame draped in shaggy fur, glowing red eyes, a rotating head and something akin to a roar that plays through a set of accompanying speakers.

Described by Hokkaido-based manufacturer Ohta Seiki as an "eco-friendly wildlife repellent device," Monster Wolf is a solar-powered robot scarecrow that looks more like a werewolf. Using a combination of motion sensors, flashing LED lights and more than 50 "threatening sounds," the robot has become a boon to Japanese farmers, landowners and anti-bear crusaders looking to scare off wildlife since it hit the market seven years ago.

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Ohta Seiki has received 50 orders and counting in 2026, it told the news agency, an abnormally high number for this time of year. Monster Wolf robots generally cost around 514,000 yen, or approximately $4,000 to $4,840 USD per unit, the BBC reported.

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Lethal bear attacks became a headline-making issue in Japan in 2025, when 13 people were killed nationwide across 100 attacks. This was more than twice the previously reported high, according to AFP. In total, approximately 50,000 bear sightings were reported, more than double the highest number recorded over the previous two years, per the outlet.

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Scientists speculated that the uptick in attacks has been driven by a growing bear population, coupled with the year's bad acorn harvest, USA TODAY previously reported. These conditions created an area "overcrowded with hungry bears," driving the large animals to populated areas in search of food.