Eight-Year-Old Launched Wildlife Tracking App
Markham student Viyoohan Sayooran developed a tool to document wildlife sightings across North America.
Updated on Oct. 11, 2026 in Wildlife
Live Poll
Do you believe mobile apps are effective tools for keeping people safe from wild animals?
On June 5, 2026, eight-year-old Viyoohan Sayooran launched the Urban Wild Watch app to help people navigate human-wildlife encounters. The platform tracks sightings across Canada and the United States, providing users with general location data and timing for animals spotted in their area.
Why it matters
The app was created to improve public awareness and personal safety during interactions with wild animals. This initiative follows several documented wildlife encounters, including a fatal bear incident near Lake McTavish in July 2026.
The Urban Wild Watch app has logged 158 encounters throughout North America. The software was developed by Viyoohan Sayooran, who is eight years old.
The players
Viyoohan Sayooran
He is an eight-year-old developer based in Markham, Ontario, who created the Urban Wild Watch app.
The details
Viyoohan built the application using artificial intelligence through a process called vibe coding. By logging sighting times and general locations, the tool aims to alert residents to animal activity without disclosing precise mapping data that could jeopardize user privacy or animal safety.
Timeline
June 2026: A grizzly bear approached a woman in Kananaskis Country, Alberta.
June 5, 2026: The Urban Wild Watch app officially launched.
July 5, 2026: A two-year-old child suffered a bite from a coyote in Whitby, Ontario.
July 15, 2026: A couple from Regina died after an encounter with a bear near Lake McTavish.
Culture Shift
The Urban Wild Watch app represents a growing trend of crowdsourced safety tools designed to mitigate risk in natural environments. By empowering individuals to share data on wildlife activity, this technology reflects a broader societal move toward community-driven proactive safety measures.
Users can leverage the app to check for recent animal sightings in their region, helping them adjust their outdoor plans accordingly. The tool requires users to stay aware of their surroundings, particularly in areas where recent encounters with coyotes or bears have occurred.
The takeaway
Using crowdsourced data can enhance safety, but it does not replace the need for physical caution in wild habitats. Staying informed about wildlife patterns remains a critical step for anyone spending time in areas where human and animal territories overlap.
Further reading
Learn more about local fauna and safety protocols in our Wildlife section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by CBC News.
Live Poll
Do you believe mobile apps are effective tools for keeping people safe from wild animals?
