Robot disguised as coyote or fox will scare wildlife away from runways at Alaska airport
- ‘Aurora’ imitates predator-like movements to keep birds and other animals at bay to prevent harmful encounters with planes
- Previous other wildlife deterrent efforts have included releasing pigs at a lake near the Anchorage airport in the 1990s in hope they would eat waterfowl eggs
A headless robot about the size of a Labrador retriever will be camouflaged as a coyote or fox to ward off migratory birds and other wildlife at Alaska’s second largest airport, a state agency said.
The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities has named the new robot Aurora and said it will be based at the Fairbanks airport to “enhance and augment safety and operations”, the Anchorage Daily News reported.
The transport department released a video of the robot climbing rocks, going up stairs and doing something akin to dancing while flashing green lights.
Those dancing skills will be put to use this fall during the migratory bird season when Aurora imitates predator-like movements to keep birds and other wildlife from settling near plane infields.
The plan is to have Aurora patrol an outdoor area near the runway every hour in an attempt to prevent harmful encounters between planes and wildlife, said Ryan Marlow, a programme manager with the transport department.