US News

Leonardo DiCaprio donates $1 million for tiger conservation

Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio made a $1 million donation to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) for tiger conservation Tuesday ahead of a summit in St. Petersburg, Russia.

The actor, a member of WWF’s board, made the generous donation just two days after the Moscow-bound plane on which he had departed New York City’s JFK airport was forced to turn around and make an emergency landing after experiencing engine trouble.

“Leonardo DiCaprio today committed one million dollars to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) for urgent tiger conservation efforts,” the WWF said in a statement.

In the statement, DiCaprio said that “If we don’t take action now, one of the most iconic animals on our planet could be gone in just a few decades. By saving tigers, we can also protect some of our last remaining ancient forests and improve the lives of indigenous communities.”

DiCaprio, 36 is due to attend the tiger summit which is being held by fellow tiger-lover, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. The summit is being attended by officials from the 13 countries in which tigers still exist. The summit aims to double the number of wild tigers by the year 2022.

The 13 countries where tigers still exist are Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam.