In May of this year a news release on www.ctv.ca reported that there were 783 collisions involving moose in Newfoundland and Labrador in 2010. On average, there are 600-800 moose-vehicle accidents per year. Next to the weather, the frumpy animals may be one of the most popular topics relating to our province’s roadways.  

A new mobile application for iPhones and Android makes reporting moose sightings to the Twittersphere simple.

Moose Watch is a real-time, location-based application that brings awareness to recent moose sightings on Newfoundland and Labrador's roads and highways via Twitter users using #moosewatchnl. Levin Mejia – a multimedia specialist with Memorial’s Distance Education, Learning and Teaching Support (DELTS) unit, and co-creator Matthew Hann, developed the application.

Visiting www.moosewatchnl.com gives access to the mobile website for Smartphones, a visual map of the province, mapped location points for recent moose sightings, location pins showing the time and location of the moose sightings and a Twitter feed showing public moose sighting reports. Sightings are reported using the Twitter hash tag #moosewatchnl. To use the app, users can tap on the map to see location-based Tweets of moose sightings, which create a location pin of where on the road the moose was spotted.

Released on July 12, it has had 15,000 visits in just one week, and more than 2,000 people downloaded it on their iPhones. A Blackberry app will be released in the coming weeks.

The idea was born when the two friends, concerned over the public outcry for a solution to our province’s moose problem, decided to take the initiative.

“The app is a way for the public to share sightings with each other in an effort to raise awareness and prevent accidents,” said Mr. Mejia. “Too many moose collisions have resulted in fatalities, leaving families to cope with the loss of loved ones, while the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador are left facing extensive health care costs. The public has spoken and the pressure is on to find a solution.”

The duo is currently hoping to gain sponsorship to help with costs associated with future development. For information on sponsorship, email donate@moosewatchnl.com.

To learn more about Moose Watch, visit moosewatchnl.com, or search Moose Watch in the iTunes App Store.