this post was submitted on 13 May 2026
157 points (100.0% liked)

Not The Onion

21476 readers
1515 users here now

Welcome

We're not The Onion! Not affiliated with them in any way! Not operated by them in any way! All the news here is real!

The Rules

Posts must be:

  1. Links to news stories from...
  2. ...credible sources, with...
  3. ...their original headlines, that...
  4. ...would make people who see the headline think, “That has got to be a story from The Onion, America’s Finest News Source.”

Please also avoid duplicates.

Comments and post content must abide by the server rules for Lemmy.world and generally abstain from trollish, bigoted, ableist, or otherwise disruptive behavior that makes this community less fun for everyone.

And that’s basically it!

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Japan has deployed a pack of robot wolves to battle the country’s record surge in bear attacks on humans.

The devices, known as “Monster Wolves”, are designed to scare away bears and other wild animals using flashing red eyes, loud growls and howling sounds.

Ohta Seiki, the Hokkaido-based company that makes the devices, said demand for the machines has surged. It has already received around 50 orders in 2026, more than the usual volume for an entire year.

Yuji Ohta, the firm’s president, said orders had exceeded normal annual demand within a few months.

“We make them by hand. We cannot make them fast enough now,” Mr Ohta told AFP, adding that customers are facing waits of up to three months.

top 35 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] portuga@lemmy.world 2 points 6 hours ago

Finally some uplifting news

[–] Leather@lemmy.world 5 points 15 hours ago

yawns Call me when the bears are 100m tall and radioactive and the only way to stop them is to merge six robo wolves into a mega wolf.

[–] beyoublahaj@lemmy.world 1 points 10 hours ago
[–] myrrh@ttrpg.network 29 points 22 hours ago (1 children)
[–] Klairabelle@lemmy.world 6 points 20 hours ago

OHMYGODYEEEEESSSSS!!!

[–] Sebeck012@feddit.nl 8 points 18 hours ago (1 children)
[–] kamenlady@lemmy.world 39 points 1 day ago (2 children)
[–] mrcleanup@lemmy.world 3 points 7 hours ago

For those wondering, this is the photo from the article.

[–] Fredselfish@lemmy.world 14 points 1 day ago (1 children)

So like deer decoys not "wolf robots"?

[–] chicken@lemmy.dbzer0.com 19 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

The machines move their heads from side to side while flashing LED lights from their eyes and tails to create a threatening, predatory appearance.

...

the company has developed upgraded versions mounted on wheels that can patrol routes and actively chase animals away.

Decoy robots

[–] nocturne@slrpnk.net 12 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

Sounds more like animatronics, akin to Chucky E Cheese.

[–] chicken@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

Those would count as robots if they could react to your presence and chase you

[–] Fredselfish@lemmy.world 1 points 11 hours ago

Yeah but these things won't chase the bears.

[–] Sharkticon@lemmy.zip 8 points 20 hours ago

So much to hate about this world we live in. So much to despise. Every now and then though, you see a headline that makes you happy.

[–] funkajunk@lemmy.world 23 points 1 day ago (1 children)

What I pictured when I heard "Japanese Wolf Robots":

My disappointment is immeasurable 😩

[–] CentipedeFarrier@piefed.social 2 points 21 hours ago

I was reading with increasing trepidation, and was relieved when I got to the bit about them being harmless, for largely similar reasons.

[–] farmgineer@nord.pub 2 points 15 hours ago

None in my village. I'm not sure if that's fortunate or unfortunate. We definitely have bears that come within a couple KM of my house.

[–] Nurse_Robot@lemmy.world 18 points 1 day ago (2 children)

But how will we tackle the robot wolf crisis??

[–] psx_crab@lemmy.zip 13 points 1 day ago

By releasing the Metal Gear.

[–] charade_you_are@sh.itjust.works 4 points 23 hours ago

robot bears

[–] CultLeader4Hire@lemmy.world 3 points 17 hours ago

Not as bad as expected

[–] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)

How do you say Hound of the Baskervilles in Japanese?

[–] cjoll4@lemmy.world 6 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

バスカヴィル家の犬

[–] pruwybn@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 17 hours ago

バスガスバクハツ?

[–] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 3 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

Why don't they just build a voltron???

[–] charade_you_are@sh.itjust.works 5 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago) (1 children)

cause the pilots will just fuck around for 15 minutes as 5 lions until they finally form Voltron. 10 seconds and 1 sword slash later, the bear will be slashed in half. pisses people off

[–] nocturne@slrpnk.net 5 points 22 hours ago (2 children)

Or 20 minutes as 37 cars or whatever.

[–] myrrh@ttrpg.network 1 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

(fifteen cars, jets, and submarines)

[–] nocturne@slrpnk.net 1 points 13 hours ago

... and I'll form the head!

[–] charade_you_are@sh.itjust.works 3 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

I actually had the car voltron when I was a kid. I can't remember if I ever saw the cartoon for it though

[–] myrrh@ttrpg.network 1 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago)

...you know, it's funny, i had vehicle voltron too, and although i never watched the cartoon, my best friend's little brother did, and i don't remember ever seeing episodes of the vehicle team, only the lions, although i know vehicle voltron also had a cartoon...

...real exotica was gladiator voltron, three humanoid robots which merged into a larger robot, which i never saw anywhere outside of catalogs...

[–] grue@lemmy.world 2 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

In a weird coincidence, the Bizarre Beasts YouTube channel just came out with a video about what happened to Japan's real wolves.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUKGQKkUKeE

[–] Floodedwomb@lemmy.world 4 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

Foiled by YouTube thumbnails.

[–] grue@lemmy.world 2 points 14 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago)

hehehehe

The link text goes to the legitimate video, though.