Leonardo DiCaprio Targets Elephant Poachers

While he is perhaps most famous for his acting, Leonardo DiCaprio has also made a name for himself as an activist.

This week, DiCaprio announced that he will be leading a new International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) campaign to protect the world's elephant populations, reports Mother Nature Network.

The initiative, called "Elephants, Never Forget," focuses on the plight of African elephants since the ivory trade was banned over 20 years ago.

With DiCaprio as the campaign's global ambassador, IFAW hopes to raise awareness of the lax oversight and black market ivory trade which "has led to the prospect of extinction for the species in several African countries," according to a press release.

"Elephants, Never Forget" is part of an annual educational program which reaches out to seven million people in 15 countries, according to Zee News.

DiCaprio said, “Elephants are killed by poachers so their tusks can be traded for weapons and drugs by international criminal organizations before becoming trinkets and jewelry for consumers. Authorities in 85 countries have seized almost 400 tons of ivory on the black market since the 1989 ivory trade ban.”

According to IFAW, wild elephant populations have diminished by 50 percent in the past century. The IUCN Red List currently lists African elephants as vulnerable and Asian elephants as endangered.

The Wall Street Journal reported that an increased demand in China has led to a 100 percent price increase of ivory in the past three years.

Be sure to check out photos of artistic elephants in honor of last month's Elephant Appreciation Day.

Elephants aren't the first animal to garner support from DiCaprio. Last year, he was part of a 13 nation summit in Russia dedicated to saving tigers. International support for tigers can't come soon enough. The worldwide tiger population has reportedly dropped to 3,200 from 100,000 a century ago. In addition to personally donating one million dollars to help tigers, DiCaprio earned praise from Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Putin called DiCaprio "a real man" for traveling to Russia despite a near emergency with his plane.

For more information about "Elephants, Never Forget," visit the IFAW website.

Comments

[cagog]

06:52 PM on 10/05/2011

Maye Leonardo Dicaprio will use those inceptions on these poachers?

[oxford85]

05:21 PM on 10/05/2011

What a fortune, that a man of his position cares about these things and has the power to make a difference. God Speed, Leo!!

[tomsachs]

02:13 PM on 10/05/2011

Absolutely terrible. What is tragic is that its not just elephants that are poached and killed. Rhinos are killed for their horn as well.

Here are some prices of animals when they are sold on the black market.
http://www.havocscope.com/black-market-prices/animals-wildlife/

[lambdin1]

02:09 PM on 10/05/2011

Hats off! We need more people to get out and DO.

[energyrefuge]

10:27 AM on 10/05/2011

I hope this initiative yields results - elephants deserve our utter respect.

[Neil20]

12:16 AM on 10/05/2011

All praise to Leonardo DiCaprio. Planet Earth needs more guys like him who not only speak on behalf of the planet's diminishing wildlife but also take action. When actors from Hollywood earn millions of dollars they could like Leo contribute a portion of their wealth to funding animal welfare projects. And I am sure there are other Hollywood stars who have stepped into the ring or are planning to do so.
However, it is not easy to break this poaching-drug nexus that is strangling the resources of our nation and poverty stricken countries. The US government must impose sanctions on nations that do not act on its poachers and drug smugglers . The US cannot afford to cosy up to these ineffective nations for gaining some respect at a time when America is losing respect all over the world. At the same time, the US cannot afford to be a hypocrite whose own environmental and wildlife policies are called into question. It has to this day never signed the Kyoto Protocol. No foolproof formula has been formulated to preserve and protect its own wildlife. Sadly America does not have the courage to be a leader in environmental issues. The US is a weak link in international environmental programs and with the self-centered Republicans gaining ground in the looming presidential elections things are not looking up for the planet.

[crp767]

09:42 AM on 10/05/2011

Thank you Leo, it is people like you who have a voice, never stop what you are doing and maybe these beauitful animals will llive for ever. They too have feelings and feel the pain of hunger and suffering.

[olitenup]

10:58 PM on 10/04/2011

Thank you Leo! Thank you!

Who can we get to help the rhinos? They are in big trouble too.

[Gingie Howard]

09:29 PM on 10/04/2011

Thank you Mr. DiCaprio! One of the most effective ways to get the world to hear what's going on and how it needs to be stopped is with the help of a celebrity.

You're a very compassionate person! On behalf of all the animals you've helped, thank you from them.

If you have a free moment, perhaps you could check out NEAVS.org. It's the New England Anti-Vivisection Society. They're the people who began "Project R&R": Release & Restitution for federally funded, elderly, retired Chimpanzees.

It's gained national attention and is so very close to becoming law. So close yet so far away. Because these Chimpanzees don't have too much time left. They need to be placed into a Sanctuary to live out the rest of their lives being Chimpanzees. Not being tortured in tiny cells with no sunlight on their backs or grass under their feet. They're very social animals and yet, they sit in their cages all alone.

Maybe someday you could help us speak up for them.

Keep up the fantastic work with animals AND your movies! Your fan ~gingie

[tammyida]

07:48 PM on 10/04/2011

You hear so much about actors with their multi-million dollar wedding and wasted money on stupid items, it's nice when someone uses their fame for something good. I've watch Leonardo since he was a very young actor and he's always been special. I hope others realize how important what he's doing is and lend their support. We're the only voice these majestic animals and others have.

[Linus521]

06:47 PM on 10/04/2011

Elephants are far more valuable to man and to the Earth than trinkets and jewelry. As a strand in the web of all life or biological diversity, elephants actually help shape the land and the continent of Africa as just one of their multiple and varied jobs for Mother Earth. Like all biological diversity, they are a community member of their ecosystem; they create and keep their ecosystem alive and life giving, and this giving is all the reasons mankind exists.

Elephants are a team player in the life giving and life of planet Earth, man's only home. When we discuss elephants and biological diversity, we are discussing oxygen, man's fresh water, a safe, moderated climate, the very atmosphere, safety from human disease pathogens, the creation and renewal of the soil and the very creation of the life zone of planet Earth, the biosphere. Science compares, extinctions of biological diversity as a threat to man, right up there with thermonuclear war. Trinkets, jewelry and insanity.

[sophie M]

06:43 PM on 10/04/2011

Who would have thought, we would have to think about .....saving the elephants,
from human beings.
something is very wrong with our world.

[Chad Wheeler]

06:41 PM on 10/04/2011

Aren't we about past the point where "increasing awareness" will save species? The people killing elephants for ivory know it's illegal. The people smuggling it know it's illegal. Possibly some of the people buying it might be ignorant to the fact that it's illegal but if it wasn't available, they couldn't buy it.

[Rob Mortimer]

12:22 PM on 10/05/2011

To an extent yes, but there are several factors at play:

1. In China (which is the big area of issue right now) a lot of people may be buying thinking it is legal ivory
2. As part of their work IFAW have produced Elephant Ribbons which you can buy to support protection of elephants (My work helped them with these, I learnt a lot about just how badly elephants need protecting)
3. Awareness needs to be kept up to demonstrate to those in power that this is an issue people care about

[Chad Wheeler]

03:57 PM on 10/05/2011

But if it doesn't get to China, they can't buy it.

I can't imagine it would cost that terribly much to fund anti-poaching teams in Africa. I would rather see the money that I donate to international wildlife groups go to direct hands on action as opposed to legislative work. Don't get me wrong, I feel they are both incredibly important, I just worry that time will run out for critically endangered species while the rest of the world plays nice.

[bad spelling grammar]

06:04 PM on 10/04/2011

Leo is awesome he has done a lot for wildlife conservation and is still continuing to fight for the preservation of bio diversity. Unfortunately there are still greedy people in this world who would rather make an extra buck at the expense of whipping out endangered species.

[GirlUsingBrain]

05:55 PM on 10/04/2011

Thank you, Mr. DiCaprio I think we need comprehensive educational programs all over Asia about the damage traditional medicines and behaviors are doing to these animal populations.

They are doing this in Viet Nam with rhinocerous horns.

No supply equals no demand.