Techie builds wildlife alert
Users can set up alert zones around specific locations, and if a bear approaches, they get a warning on their telephone.
SRINAGAR, India (AFP) — After his mother was killed in a bear attack in Kashmir, Indian software engineer Mudasir Ali developed an online early-warning system to help people in the Himalayan region avoid dangerous encounters with wildlife.
Ali created Wildping, a free website where users report sightings of animals such as Himalayan black bears and leopards, triggering alerts to people nearby.
The 33-year-old launched the platform in October, on the first anniversary of his mother’s death.
She was among at least 50 people killed, with hundreds more mauled, in wildlife attacks in the territory since 2023, according to official data.
“Since then, I have always had it in my mind that I should use my skills to develop a technology that people living in these hotspots, where such incidents occur, can use to protect themselves,” Ali told .
“I have gone through this pain, and I don’t want anyone else to experience it,” he said, as he monitored sightings in his area on the site.
Human-wildlife conflict has become a growing concern across the Himalayas, where deforestation and shrinking habitats are bringing people into closer contact with wild animals.
“It won’t stop conflict by itself. It can buy a family a few minutes: keep the kids inside, skip the walk, or call for help,” the site explains.