‘I wanted people to know that wildlife might be nearby, but I didn’t want everyone rushing to the exact location to take pictures,’ says creator of Urban Wild Watch
As York Region residents tracked reports of a black bear wandering near the Aurora-Stouffville border this week, one young innovator believes technology can help people coexist more safely with wildlife.
Eight-year-old Viyoohan Sayooran has created Urban Wild Watch, a free community reporting and awareness app designed to help residents stay informed about wildlife activity without putting animals, or people, at greater risk.
The timing is fitting. Aurora and Newmarket have experienced a growing number of bear and coyote sightings in recent years, prompting both municipalities to launch online wildlife reporting systems.
This week, attention shifted to a black bear after nighttime custodians spotted the animal outside St. Katharine Drexel Catholic High School and Blessed Chiara Badano Catholic Elementary School in Stouffville on June 24.
A day later, residents reported emergency vehicles and helicopters near Wellington Street and Yonge Street in Aurora as the bear moved through the Aurora-Stouffville area.
For Viyoohan, those kinds of encounters inspired a simple question: how can communities stay informed without disturbing wildlife?
“I wanted people to know that wildlife might be nearby, but I didn’t want everyone rushing to the exact location to take pictures,” he said. “That could scare the animal and create an unsafe situation for families, children and pets. My goal is to help safeguard the community while also protecting wildlife and giving animals the space they need.”
Unlike many location-sharing platforms, Urban Wild Watch deliberately avoids displaying an animal’s precise location. Instead, it alerts users to wildlife activity within a general community, encouraging people to remain vigilant while allowing animals to continue moving naturally.
The app allows users to report sightings of coyotes, bears, foxes, deer, injured wildlife and orphaned animals while providing educational information about urban wildlife behaviour and safe coexistence.
The project also reflects a different side of artificial intelligence.
Using Claude AI to organize his ideas and the AI-assisted development platform Lovable to build the web application through plain English instructions, Viyoohan transformed an idea into a functioning public tool — all before entering Grade 4. Beginning this September, he will attend Cornell Village Public School’s gifted program after completing Grade 3 at David Suzuki Public School in Markham.
His parents supervised the project throughout its development.
The app complements, rather than replaces, existing municipal reporting systems.
In 2024, the Town of Aurora introduced an online coyote and fox reporting map to help Animal Services identify wildlife hotspots, deploy patrols, install warning signs and educate residents about preventing conflicts with wildlife.
Newmarket also operates a public wildlife reporting tool.
Urban Wild Watch serves a different purpose, focusing on public awareness and education while reminding users to contact emergency services, municipal animal services or wildlife authorities if an animal poses an immediate danger.
The young creator hopes the project encourages other children to see themselves as problem-solvers.
Rather than viewing artificial intelligence simply as a tool for entertainment or homework, he believes it can help young people create practical solutions for real community challenges.
As wildlife increasingly shares space with growing urban neighbourhoods across York Region, Viyoohan hopes his app will encourage residents to look out for one another, and for the animals that also call the region home.
“My goal,” he said, “is to help safeguard the community while also protecting wildlife.”