DiCaprio and Bezos Commit $200 Million to Protect Endangered Species

Foundations funded and co-founded by Leonardo DiCaprio and Jeff Bezos have initiated an ambitious project to revive 100 of the most threatened species on Earth. This initiative involves a commitment of $200 million and includes animals such as endangered lemurs, salamanders, pangolins, pigs, and echidnas.

Launch of the Phoenix Species Project

DiCaprio’s Re:wild and the Bezos Earth Fund lead this initiative, termed the Phoenix Species Project. The groups announced that this represents the largest single fund ever dedicated exclusively to the recovery of critically endangered species. DiCaprio has long envisioned a significant effort to aid species whose habitats and existence face threats from climate change.

Collaboration and Planning

In 2021, DiCaprio met with Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder, and Lauren Sánchez Bezos, who plays a role as vice chair of the Bezos Earth Fund. Their meetings included discussions with local governments, environmental groups, and Indigenous people to devise strategies for reversing the decline of vulnerable species.

Targeted Species

The initiative focuses on sustaining animals like:

• The golden-crowned sifaka, a lemur from Madagascar.
• The Hickory Nut Gorge green salamander from North Carolina.
• The Visayan warty pig, native to the Philippines.
• The Cozumel harvest mouse of Mexico.
• The pink land iguana from the Galápagos Islands.
• The Malayan pangolin, or Sunda pangolin, from Southeast Asia.
• The pancake tortoise from Tanzania.
• The starry night harlequin toad from Colombia.
• Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna from New Guinea.

Goals and Impact

The project aims to provide long-term support for successful yet temporary conservation efforts. Tiana Andriamanana, executive director of Association Fanamby, stated, “We’ve protected the golden-crowned sifaka for years on a budget that would never match what this species deserves, but letting it go extinct was never an option.” With this funding, global platform, and technical support, there is a significant change in what can be achieved.