The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation Is Working To Conserve America’s Critically Endangered Gray Wolf

Hundreds of thousands of wolves formerly roamed North America. However, due to the human-wolf conflict, those areas originally occupied by the courageous carnivores became devoid of gray wolves in the early 1970s, after they had been virtually eradicated from the United States.

It wasn’t until a few decades later that people learned how important wolves were in preserving a healthy ecology. Because wolves are at the top of the food chain, their absence causes an unchecked surge in deer numbers. As a result, the crops suffered as well.

Fortunately, there are still some conservationist groups working diligently to return these iconic wild animals to their natural habitats. The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, founded by the famous and charismatic actor Leo DiCaprio, is one of those animal rights activists pushing so hard for this to happen. The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation worked tirelessly to aid in the repopulation of gray wolves, and their efforts were rewarded when the natural population increased to 113 individuals in the last year.

“The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation is supporting the work of Defenders of Wildlife and their effort to bring back the Mexican Gray wolf in New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado,” according to the organization’s website. “They have also collaborated with the Pacific Wolf Coalition, a coalition of organizations working to advance wolf recovery in California, Oregon, and Washington. The Pacific Northwest now has 32 gray wolf packs, which were once extinct in the area.”

Furthermore, in July, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife announced the discovery of three young cubs in western Lassen County, after trail cameras filmed them playing. The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation has supported over 200 programs to safeguard wildlife and the environment over the last two decades. DiCaprio’s organization, which is “dedicated to the long-term health and wellbeing of all Earth’s inhabitants,” is an angel for the planet Earth.