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Leonardo DiCaprio Raises $25 Million to Protect Wild Animals

July 29, 2014 by Leave a Comment


The News

At a fundraiser in the South of France for his charitable foundation, Leonardo Di Caprio raised $25 million to protect wild animals.  He said, “The wild species that depend on us to protect their habitat, like tigers whose numbers have plummeted to under 3,200 left in the wild, or African elephants, who are being slaughtered at a rate of over 30,000 a year for their ivory tusks — they have no voice. We must be their ambassadors. We must be their protectors. We must stop their slaughter. We must now make an effort to protect the rich biodiversity that could allow nature to eventually recover.”

DiCaprio protects elephants

News & Opinion

Some people applaud when celebrities become advocates for a cause; others wish they’d go away.  Regardless of your position, celebrities can and do effect change.  It was in part because Alec Baldwin narrated Meet Your Meat that I watched the video on factory farming and went vegan.  I am grateful to the dozens of stars who lend their powerful voices to animals.  Of course, we’d all like some celebrities to vanish — like Liam Neeson, who is a spokesman for NYC’s inhumane horse-drawn carriage trade, and Anthony Bourdain, who defends and promotes foie gras, the a “delicacy of despair.”


Filed under: Victories, WIldlife
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One Tiger Cub Death and Three Births at London Zoo Trigger calls for Boycott

March 21, 2014 by Leave a Comment


The News

Six months after a three-week old tiger drowned at the London zoo, three more tigers were born there. PETA has capitalized on the attention brought by the drowning and the births to call for a boycott of the zoo, which they describe as a “prison with living exhibits.” The zoo director, David Field, defends captivity, saying “The wild is just simply not an option for many species now, with habitats being destroyed and illegal wildlife trade soaring at unprecedented rates. Conservation breeding programmes are the only way to ensure a future for these animals.”

Tiger Cubs at London Zoo

Tiger Cubs at London Zoo

News & Opinion

By saying that the “wild is not an option,” the London Zoo director is suggesting that captivity is the only option for some animals. That message only reinforces the point of view that animals in zoos are money-making exhibits, not ambassadors who unwillingly sacrifice their freedom to help to conserve members of their species who live freely in their natural habitats. If we believe in wildlife conservation, then we should be supporting the work of groups like Sea Shepherd that are protecting animals and their habitats. To find out how you can help protect wild animals, please see this list of 10 other wildlife conservation groups.


Filed under: Entertainment
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