Wild times we’re living in, am I right?
We’ve got super computers in our pockets, every piece of information we could think of at our fingertips, AI running rampant, cars that drive themselves (that’s still a work in progress), and robot humanoids slowly but surely becoming more common. That future that people are always talking about? We’re living in it.
And over in Poland, they are choosing to take advantage of technology to help deal with their… wild boar problem.
Wild boars are as problematic as they come. These animals are an issue in basically every environment they call home. They are only native to Asia, parts of North America, and Europe… yet they live on every continent with the exception of Antarctica. And everywhere they live… trouble ensues.
You might be wondering… what’s the big deal about some wild hogs running amuck? The answer to that question has multiple levels. For one, they don’t really have a natural predator. So they just keep reproducing (and they multiply fast), and then have the strength in numbers to wreak havoc.
That typically comes in the form of crop destruction. A pack of boars can easily decimate crops, thus reducing the yield of the crops and affecting the food supply. Not only that, but they can spread disease to livestock, and since they are omnivores, they have even been known to kill young calves and lambs.
They’re bad news all around, and that’s especially true when it comes to their relationship and frequent run-ins with human beings. These animals – which can weigh anywhere between 70 and 250 pounds – seemingly love to cause property damage. Sometimes that means tearing up someone’s yard, while other times it looks like a wild boar running into (or out in front of) a vehicle.
So over in Warsaw, Poland, an AI-powered robot by the name of Edward Warchocki is doing its part to rid the boar-plagued town of the wild hogs. The city is truly overrun, and official have even resorted to shooting wild boars in residential parts of Warsaw. And judging by this video posted by the robot influencer (weird, I know), it looks like they are even exploring a roll out of humanoid hog herders.
“I’m herding the wild boars into the forest.”
That video has been viewed close to 4 million times.
To be clear, that footage above is more of a promotional stunt than anything else. Though it appears the robot was somewhat successful in running off the wild boars, that doesn’t exactly solve the problem. The wild boars are now just somewhere else in the area, and Edward Warchocki (the robot) wasn’t fast enough to keep up.
However, are we that far away from a future where robots could be used to help control and diminish the growing wild boar population that causes so many issues all around the world? I’m no tech expert, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that dystopian future become reality sooner rather than later. And hey… if it can help fix the wild boar problem, I’m sure a lot of people would get behind it.
