Lifestyle/Community
Teenager’s wildlife tracking website
Latest Sightings, (www.latestsightings.com) founded by Nadav Ossendryver at age 15 (now 17), a King David Linksfield High School learner in Johannesburg, is an example of what a young entrepreneur can accomplish using 21st century technology.
OWN CORRESPONDENT
PHOTOGRAPHS: ILAN OSSENDRYVER
Pictured: Aiden Baigrie, client partner, sub-Saharan Africa of Facebook (left), talks to Nadav Ossendryver about the latter’s “Latest Sightings” website.
Channelling his passion for wildlife, conservation and his love of the Kruger National Park (KNP), he has created an online, real-time, wildlife spotting service for visitors to the Kruger. Latest Sightings uses the concept of crowd sourcing, combining social media such as Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, BBM groups, a website and an iPhone and Android app, to inform visitors to the park (as well as enthusiasts worldwide) where interesting animals and birds have just been spotted.
Nadav was last week the guest speaker at the launch of Facebook SA.
Latest Sightings has over 100 000 members in its community, across all the media. Nadav’s YouTube channel is the fifth most watched in South Africa.
The site has become an integral part of wildlife research, for example, teaming up with KNP Wild Dogs, Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) and the Leopard Identification Project.
Through his Latest Sightings community, he has helped save wildlife such as rhinos, hyenas and wild dogs, from being poached.
Nadav was the past “Eco Ambassador” for the EWT, the youngest “Virtual Honorary Ranger” appointed by SANParks and the first Lead SA Youth Hero in South Africa.
He was given this organisation’s prestigious award for his work in wildlife and conservation. He also was asked to attend a youth meeting with President Barack Obama during the latter’s visit to South Africa.
Recently Nadav was chosen by Treehugger.com in a list of “21 Kids Around the World that will Save the World from Adults”.