Project Backed by Leonardo DiCaprio and Jeff Bezos Aims to Save 100 Critically Endangered Species

A major new conservation project is trying to save 100 animals and plants that are almost extinct. The project is called the Phoenix Species Project, and it launched this week. It is backed by actor Leonardo DiCaprio and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who are each putting up $100 million. Together, they hope to give some of the world's rarest creatures a second chance at survival.

The Phoenix Species Project is a partnership between the Bezos Earth Fund and Re:wild, a conservation group co-founded by DiCaprio and biologist Wes Sechrest. Each organization will contribute $100 million, bringing the total to $200 million. The money will go toward saving 100 critically endangered species — animals and plants that are so rare they could disappear forever very soon. The project will work in 30 countries spread across five continents.

To reach its goals, the project plans to team up with 100 local and international partners. These partners will include scientists, local communities, governments, and Indigenous groups. Depending on the species being helped, the money could pay for breeding programs, moving animals to safer locations, controlling diseases, or removing invasive species that harm native wildlife. All of these efforts are aimed at keeping these creatures from going extinct.

The list of species includes reptiles, birds, mammals, fish, sharks, amphibians, invertebrates, and even a plant — an African dwarf succulent called the fuzzy belly button. Some of the animals on the list are already extinct in the wild, meaning they survive only in zoos or special facilities. These include the Hawaiian crow, the Guam kingfisher, and the Charco Azul pupfish. The project hopes to one day return these animals to their natural habitats.

Lauren Sánchez Bezos, vice chair of the Bezos Earth Fund, explained why the project matters to her. "Kids fall in love with animals before anyone tells them those animals are disappearing," she said. She added, "What do we tell them when the night parrot or the golden-crowned sifaka isn't there anymore to fall in love with? This project is our answer."

The launch comes just weeks after the Trump Administration announced big changes to the Endangered Species Act. Under those changes, the government can now weigh economic and national security costs before protecting land as a critical habitat for endangered species. A place can also lose its protected status if officials decide the local species won't go extinct without it. Critics worry these changes will make it harder to protect animals in the United States.

Right now, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service lists 1,515 animals as endangered or threatened. Around the world, the International Union for Conservation of Nature lists more than 4,000 animals as critically endangered — nearly five times more than in the year 2000. Another 7,252 species are listed as endangered, and 7,244 are considered vulnerable. The Phoenix Species Project is one of the largest private efforts ever launched to try to turn these numbers around.