Bear countermeasure goods now available at convenience stores, demonstration experiment of wolf-type repellent device begins

Bears continue to appear. According to the Ministry of the Environment, 238 people were injured and 13 died in fiscal 2025, both record highs. The number of sightings remains at an all-time high, and sightings in urban areas are occurring one after another.

Encounters with bears are no longer limited to the mountains. As the number of cases in which bells and sprays alone are not enough to protect you is increasing, creative anti-bear products are becoming more and more popular.

On June 17, FamilyMart began a demonstration experiment of Monster Wolf, a wolf-like wild animal repellent device, at a store in Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture. Measures have also been extended to convenience store fronts, including the deployment of bear repellent spray to approximately 800 stores.

The ``Monster Wolf'' introduced by Family Mart is a device manufactured by Wolf Kamuy (Sapporo City). It is a device modeled after a natural enemy, the wolf, that wild animals instinctively fear. When the infrared sensor detects the approach of an animal, it activates and threatens with a wolf-like appearance. In addition to flashing red LED eyes, it also emits light from its feet, creating a silhouette on the ground.

The warning sound can reach up to 90 decibels, which is as loud as a construction site. It randomly plays more than 50 types of sound patterns, including sounds that do not exist in nature, to prevent animals from becoming accustomed to them. The company also recommends periodically relocating the equipment as a measure to prevent habituation.

Among wild animals, bears are said to have the most effective avoidance behavior (dislike and avoidance of specific situations). Wolf Kamuy President Motohiro Miyasaka says, ``Since bears are solitary, this may be because they are more likely to take evasive behavior than animals that move in groups.''