Wild Reporter App

We made it! In fact, not only did we reach our target, we exceeded it by nearly double!
Anyone who was following our progress in line with the other charities in the App Aid program will know that at times it was a very close race - nail biting at times! Taronga Foundation came second place in the App Aid competition, with Beyond Blue taking first place (Hi-Five to them!). The folks at Vodafone Foundation knew what a close race it was and in recognition of our efforts have awarded Taronga an additional $10,000 on top of the matching funds - BIG thanks to Vodafone!
However, none of this success would have been possible without our wonderful supporters. So the HUGE thanks goes to all of you!
With the extra funds we will be able to improve functionality of Wild Reporter, helping further in the fight against the illegal wildlife trade.
Thank you!
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A big thank you to our supporters who have helped us reach our goal of raising $8,200 for the development of our Wild Reporter smart phone app. We are hugely grateful and touched by the support our project has received!
Our new challenge is to finish the App Aid competition as the charity with the most number of supporters as the charity in this position will win an additional $10,000 bonus prize from the Vodafone Foundation. If we were fortunate enough to win the additional funds we will be able to enhance the features of 'Wild Reporter' and add some extra functionality to further help fight the horrific illegal wildlife trade. PLEASE keep sharing via your networks.
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Taronga Foundation wants to build 'Wild Reporter' which is a smartphone app that will allow anyone living or travelling through South East Asia to report the illegal trade of animals.
We have received initial seed funding through Vodafone Foundation’s App Aid to build the app prototype. We now need to raise a further $8,200 contribution from the public to help bring the app to market and make it a reality!
As part of App Aid every pledge made between 14 November and 5 December 2013 will be matched by Vodafone Foundation (capped at $10,000).
Every donation counts, no matter how big or small, as Vodafone Foundation will donate an additional $10,000 to the App Aid charity team with the highest number of individual backers at 5pm EDST 5 December 2013.
We are asking you to make a pledge to help us realise our $8,200 target to bring the 'Wild Reporter' app to market.
WHY FOCUS ON ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING?
Today, poachers will kill two rhinos and almost 100 elephants.
Today, over 14,000 bears sit in cages for bile extraction across Asia.
Bear in bile farm in Vietnam - image courtesy TRAFFIC Southeast Asia
Bear bile in sale in shops - image courtesy TRAFFIC Southeast Asia
Illegal trade effects countless other species including tigers, elephants, tortoises, sharks, parrots, pangolins and many, many more.Around the world wildlife is being stolen or killed to be sold for traditional medicines, restaurant dishes, fashion items or pets.

Tiger skin in Myanmar - image courtesy TRAFFIC Southeast Asia
Bear paws in Malaysia - image courtesy TRAFFIC Southeast Asia
Globally the illegal wildlife trade is the second greatest threat to species survival. For some species it’s the greatest threat. High market prices and low levels of enforcement make illegal wildlife trade appealing to international criminal networks. Worldwide, the illegal trade in wildlife is comparable in value to that of drugs and arms.
We believe that in conjunction with our partner in the field TRAFFIC, our Wild Reporter app can raise awareness and is a small step to bring an end to the illegal wildlife trade.
THERE IS HOPE AT TARONGA
At Taronga we're for the wild, for its future. One where wild animals don’t simply slip off the face of the earth, never to be seen again. We believe humans and animals can live together. That we can share this planet. That they can survive, and thrive in the wild. But until that day comes we will be right there working towards it. As a home, a school, a sanctuary, a nursery, a dating service. The first line of defence and the last resort. We are defenders, champions and ambassadors of the wild. We’re on a mission of such critical importance it can’t be allowed to fail.
Put simply: We can’t let it.
Resident Sun Bear at Taronga Zoo
Meet our Sun Bears
MR HOBBS - THE MAN ABOUT TOWN.
Mr Hobbs lives at Taronga Zoo, however his start to life was to be part of the illegal wildlife trade.
Mr Hobbs, was rescued as a cub from outside a Cambodian restaurant where he was caged, and ready to be dismembered, bit by bit, to make bear paw soup. Luckily for Mr Hobbs, a kind Australian businessman discovered him and reported it so that arrangements could be made to bring him to our Zoo where he now lives with his companion, Mary.
THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY
Mary, a boisterous almost three year old, has recently joined the Taronga family from Canberra’s National Zoo and Aquarium.
Mary is a playful and mischievous bear, who is always active and is renowned for rearranging her exhibit, just the way she likes it. She can usually be seen climbing, digging, ripping logs apart, chasing and wrestling with Mr. Hobbs or relaxing in her hammock.
Mary has recently come to Taronga to be a companion to Mr Hobbs. She is teaching him to be more adventurous and he’s now working harder at looking for his behavioural enrichment items that they are offered several times each day.

Mary and Mr. Hobbs
Special thanks......
OUR DIGITAL AGENCY
Brandon Cowan – Director, Crazy Dog Apps
www.crazydogapps.com.au
OUR MENTOR
Justin Baird – CEO, Jumptank
www.jumptank.com.au
THE APPAID TEAM
And of course, The Vodafone Foundation without whom this opportunity would not have been possible.
Learn more
How The Funds Will Be Used
Our app will be called 'Wild Reporter' and it will enable reporting through uploading of photos or videos of what has been seen; a bear in cage at the back of a restaurant, shark fin soup on a menu, carvings made from ivory at the markets - you get the picture. Your report then goes directly to TRAFFIC and national wildlife crime hotlines for response and action.
Through Wild Reporter YOU become the eyes and ears to help fight illegal wildlife trade.

Thanks to seed funding provided by Vodafone Foundation’s App Aid, the Taronga Foundation has worked with Crazy Dog Apps digital agency to develop this app idea. Vodafone Foundation will match every dollar pledged (up to $10,000 per charity) on Pozible, between 14 November to 5 December 2013. Plus, the charity app with the highest number of individual backers at 5pm EDST on 5 December 2013 will receive an additional $10,000 donation from Vodafone Foundation and will be deemed the winner of App Aid 2013.
We are looking to raise an additional $8,200 to help complete 'Wild Reporter' and bring it to market. The funds raised will be used to cover the digital developer costs - we have a brilliant prototype but we want to further enhance this & bring both an iphone & android version of 'Wild Reporter' to market.
Please help by making a pledge today.
The Challenges
We plan to manage this by launching with the most common animals and most impacted that are impacted by the illegal wildlife trade and build on this over time.
Our sincerest gratitude for helping bring our app to life!
Our sincerest gratitude for helping raise awareness of and stop the illegal wildlife trade.
To thank you for your generous donation we will email a specially created certificate thanking you for your support.
To thank you for your generous donation you will receive a super cute cuddly toy to remind you of the animals you are helping in the wild, along with a specially designed certificate of thanks.
To thank you for your extremely generous donation you will receive a specially designed, personalised certificate of thanks, a super cute cuddly toy to remind you of the animals you are helping in the wild, plus two Taronga Zoo entry tickets. You will receive your special package in the mail.