DiCaprio, Bezos launch $200M effort to revive 100 of Earth's most threatened species

Actor and environmental advocate Leonardo DiCaprio and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos are reportedly backing a new conservation campaign that will direct $200 million toward helping 100 of the world's most threatened species.

What's happening?

According to The Associated Press, the effort is called the Phoenix Species Project. Led by DiCaprio's conservation group Re:wild and the Bezos Earth Fund, it aims to revive critically endangered animals around the world. 

The AP noted the organizations claim the project is the largest single fund in history dedicated exclusively to recovering critically endangered species.

The project will include animals like the Galápagos pink land iguana, the Malayan pangolin, and Tanzania's pancake tortoise.

The Phoenix Species Project began with a 2021 meeting involving Bezos, DiCaprio, Re:wild co-founder and CEO Wes Sechrest, and Lauren Sanchez Bezos, vice chair of the Bezos Earth Fund, the AP noted. The idea then developed through talks with Indigenous peoples, environmental groups, and local governments about how to reverse species losses.

How can this help?

Saving endangered species is about keeping keystone species alive to keep ecosystems functioning. That then supports clean water, healthier soils, pollination, climate resilience, and the food systems people rely on every day.

When species disappear, the effects can ripple outward. Losses in one part of an ecosystem can weaken forests, wetlands, and coastlines that protect communities from flooding, erosion, and extreme weather. They can also disrupt tourism economies and local livelihoods tied to nature.

What's being done?

Rather than starting from scratch, the Phoenix Species Project is intended to extend smaller conservation efforts that have already shown promise but often lack dependable long-term backing, the AP reported. By combining funding, technical expertise, and global attention, the initiative hopes to improve the chances that recovery plans will succeed over time.

That kind of sustained backing can help local groups carry out slower, less visible work, like habitat restoration, that species recovery often requires. It can also strengthen partnerships with communities and Indigenous leaders who are often closest to these landscapes.

Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.