New app aims to help people feel safe in wolf country

A new app designed to scare wolves away aims to help people feel safer outdoors in areas where wolves roam, Danish broadcaster DR reports. Developer Kim Ulfkjær says he hopes the app will encourage people who fear wolves to spend time in nature.

Called Ulvealarm, the app has a large red button that triggers flashing lights and a loud howling sound. Ulfkjær, who lives in Lem near Ringkøbing, developed it as a hobby project over two months after his mother said she was afraid to let her small dog off its leash because of wolves.

Peter Sunde, a professor at Aarhus University, said the app is not necessary from a safety perspective because wolves are not dangerous to people. But he said it could provide psychological reassurance. Ulfkjær said he would be satisfied if the app helped some people feel more comfortable in nature.