Build fences? Nah, we’ll just use Twitter thank-you.

After listening to countless complaints on the open line about moose sightings and collisions, Levin Mejia and Matthew Hann decided to take matters into their own hands. The duo decided to develop a community that first solicits users to use Twitter to report were they have encountered a moose (using the hashtag #moosewatchnl), and then takes that location-based data to produce a mobile app that displays the reports graphically. It’s called Moose Watch.

According to Moose Watch’s website, the duo aim “…to enhance public awareness of moose sightings in order to alert motorists to potential dangers. By alerting the motoring public of current moose sightings and their locations, moosewatchnl.com hopes to instill an increased sense of attention and caution in those traveling our highways, as a preventative measure to reduce moose accidents.”

Mejia and Han say that www.moosewatchnl.com gives you access to:

• A Visual Map of Newfoundland and Labrador
  
• Mapped Location Points for Recent Moose Sightings
  
• Location Pins Showing the Time and Location of the Moose Sighting
  
• A Twitter Timeline Showing Public Moose Sighting Reports. Sightings are reported using Twitter and the special tag line #moosewatchnl

Nearly 300 people downloaded the app on the day it was unveiled and another 1,000 visited the website moosewatchnl.com. The app can be accessed through the mobile website on all major smartphones by visiting www.moosewatchnl.com. You can also download the free App for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. The app is free to use and to report moose sightings though Mejia and Hann are accepting donations to further develop the app and cover current costs via their website.