On Vancouver Island, we’re blessed with an abundance of wildlife—and every once and a while, that wildlife will make its way into a residential area.
This begs the question—would you want to be notified if there was wildlife in your immediate area? Think bears, cougars, etc.
One software engineer and Colwood resident saw that Vancouver Islanders were in need of just that and developed WildSpot, a 100% free app to empower locals to track real-time wildlife sightings and send neighbourhood notifications.
“My wife, Jill, who often reads local news about cougar sightings in the area, once remarked that it would be so much easier if there were an app to track them,” says WildSpot’s creator, Julio.
“It seemed obvious: a central hub for recording sightings would not only help locals track wildlife patterns but could also alert neighbourhoods to unexpected “visits” before they turned risky.”
That’s how WildSpot was born.
This app can also be used to reunite owners with their lost pets—fostering a safer, more connected environment for families and hikers alike.
When a lost pet is reported, the app generates a missing pet poster in PDF with all of the details—photo, location, contact info, and even a QR code linking to the app. That PDF is then saved in-app, so anyone who wants to help can download, print, and distribute it.
Julio also notes that he’s integrated the Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD) into the app, so if someone tries to add a sighting in those zones, the app flags it and sends it to moderation before it’s visible to others.
The app is already live, and you can download it on iOS and Android.
