DiCaprio and Bezos Commit $200M to Save Endangered Species

Foundations led by Leonardo DiCaprio and Jeff Bezos are dedicating $200 million to protect 100 of the planet’s most endangered species. The Re:wild foundation, co-founded by DiCaprio, and Bezos Earth Fund are spearheading the Phoenix Species Project. They have claimed this as the largest fund focused on saving critically endangered species.

DiCaprio has envisioned support for species at risk from climate change. In 2021, discussions between DiCaprio, Re:wild co-founder Wes Sechrest, Jeff Bezos, and his wife Lauren Sánchez Bezos set the foundations for this initiative. These conversations extended to local governments, environmental groups, and Indigenous communities, eventually shaping the project.

The Phoenix Species Project aims to preserve various species, including:

• The golden-crowned sifaka, a lemur native to Madagascar.
• The Hickory Nut Gorge green salamander, found in North Carolina.
• The Visayan warty pig from Philippine islands.
• The Cozumel harvest mouse, living near the Yucatán Peninsula.
• The pink land iguana from the Galápagos Islands.
• The Malayan pangolin, native to Southeast Asia.
• The pancake tortoise from Tanzania, with its distinctive flat shell.
• The starry night harlequin toad, found in Colombia.
• Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna from New Guinea, named after David Attenborough.

The project’s goals are to offer long-term support to various efforts already in motion. Association Fanamby’s executive director, Tiana Andriamanana, highlighted the importance of ensuring the survival of species like the golden-crowned sifaka. She noted that although resources have been limited, allowing extinction was not an option. The funding and support now available promise significant improvements.