Part Taxidermy, Part Terminator

U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials have a new tool in their arsenal against poachers: robotic animals. Part taxidermy and part Terminator, these high-tech decoys are meant to entice illegal hunters. The animals may be fake, but shooting them carries the same penalties as going after the real thing.

The company Custom Robotic Wildlife manufactures the robo-creatures, which have fiberglass shells, real animal pelts, and even glow-in-the-dark eyes. Wildlife agents can move the animals’ head, ears and tail by remote control. A full-size moose can cost almost $5000. That’s a relative bargain, though, because a single decoy can bring in $30,000 in poaching fines.

(Photo by VancityAllie via Flickr/Creative Commons)