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RALEIGH, N.C. – U.S. wildlife officials want smartphone-owning outdoor lovers to use a downloaded app to report any endangered species they see in the wilderness.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Monday it’s teaming up with Sweden-based FishBrain, a social network and free-to-use mobile app for anglers. The mobile product was developed so sport-fishing enthusiasts could share information on their catches.
The new effort helps anglers log any sightings of up to 50 at-risk species spotted as they trek to waterways. The federally protected animals across the country include shortnose sturgeons, whooping cranes, Kemp’s ridley sea turtles and Columbia white-tailed deer.
The federal conservation agency hopes the input will help researchers discover where the dwindling critters are centralized, the habitat they need and maybe how the public can help protect native wildlife.