NOEL KING, HOST:

Good morning. I'm Noel King. Officials in the Japanese town of Takikawa saw bears roaming around, and they were worried about an attack. So their solution?

(SOUNDBITE OF ROBOT SCREECHING)

KING: That is the Monster Wolf. It's a fur-covered scarecrow with a wolf head. When it senses movement, its red eyes flash. And it starts screeching and howling. So far, it's been working. Officials say no bear sightings have been reported since. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.