DiCaprio and Bezos fund $200 million project to save 100 species

A new conservation initiative backed by philanthropists Leonardo DiCaprio and Jeff Bezos aims to save 100 critically endangered species worldwide. Launched on Tuesday, the Phoenix Species Project has secured $200 million in funding from both the Bezos Earth Fund and Re:wild, a nonprofit co-founded by DiCaprio. Each organization is contributing $100 million to support recovery efforts for these imperiled species.

The project comes at a crucial time for global conservation efforts. The announcement follows recent regulatory changes by the Trump administration that weaken the Endangered Species Act. These changes allow economic concerns to influence the designation of critical habitats for endangered species, raising fears about the future of wildlife protection in the U.S. The timing underscores the urgency of initiatives like the Phoenix Species Project, as the global biodiversity crisis intensifies.

The Phoenix Species Project plans to collaborate with over 100 local and international partners, including conservationists, government agencies, and Indigenous communities. Funding will be allocated to various strategies, such as breeding programs, disease management, and invasive species control. Among the targeted species are reptiles, birds, mammals, and even unique plants like the fuzzy belly button succulent. Some of the species on the list are already extinct in the wild, including the Hawaiian Crow and the Guam Kingfisher.

This initiative reflects a growing recognition of the need to address the alarming increase in critically endangered species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature reports that over 4,000 species are classified as critically endangered—a nearly fivefold increase since 2000. With 1,515 animals on the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's endangered list alone, the Phoenix Species Project represents a significant effort to halt the decline and foster recovery for some of the world's most vulnerable species.