Robo-animal

We can build robo-animals to dispose of any pest. For that matter we can build robo-animals to accomplish constructive purposes within the pattern of the ecology.

Source: wiktionary

The research base has, exactly as you describe, a recreation area. It'll be heated, have an area of vegitation (probably better than you can find topside throughout most of the developed near-future world), several pseudo- or robo-animals and a complete set of activity spaces.

Source: wiktionary

> Yo: one question. What the heck is Rhinox anyway? a tank or a > snowmobile Neither. A robotic rhino with treads, the way that all the other Transmetals are more robo-animals with vehicular features than actual vehicles (rat with wheels, cat with wings, etc.)

Source: wiktionary