Crowdsourced wildlife reports, searchable by area

Bird-watchers are well-known for the tenacity with which they chronicle sightings of avian species worldwide, but fans of other types of wildlife may have a harder time figuring out what’s likely to be nearby. Now coming to the rescue is WildlifeNearYou, a UK-based site that lets animal lovers share their experiences and locate wildlife around the globe. Focusing on nature reserves, zoos, parks and other organised wildlife locations, WildlifeNearYou lets users search for particular animals or search by area to learn where the wildlife that matters to them is likely to be found. They can also combine their search criteria and, for example, look for llamas in London. More than 1,500 species and 600 locations in 56 countries have been added since the site’s launch in January, and users can add their own trips with information and photos of what they saw. Those with specific knowledge, meanwhile, can also help tag photos on the site with names for the species shown. Combining one part life-tracking and one part location-based search, WildlifeNearYou promises to serve wildlife hobbyists and experts alike with its database of localised spottings. In addition to tapping advertising possibilities, we wouldn’t be surprised to see WildlifeNearYou team up with a conservation effort of some kind, giving users a way to combine their passion with the good karma of helping out. Nature-focused organisations around the world: is this one to get involved in? (Related: For every brand and logo, a species to be saved — Community for tracking life experiences.) Spotted by: Marko Balabanovic