People in northern Japan have recently been struggling with a growing number of encounters with hungry bears that roam through towns looking for food. The marauding animals sometimes damage property or end up in dangerous encounters with humans. Worried people in the towns of Bihoro and Takikawa are among those turning to a grisly-looking robotic “monster wolf” to tell bears to look elsewhere for pre-hibernation snacks. Developed by Hokkaido machinery company Ohta Seiki and two universities,…