DiCaprio, Bezos Commit $200M to Save 100 Endangered Species

The biggest bet on endangered species recovery just landed, and it comes with a $200 million commitment to bring animals and plants back from the brink of extinction.

Leonardo DiCaprio's Re:wild and Jeff Bezos' Bezos Earth Fund launched the Phoenix Species Project this week, a groundbreaking initiative focused entirely on saving critically endangered species worldwide. The project marks the single largest philanthropic commitment ever made to species recovery.

Unlike typical short-term conservation grants, this funding promises something different: sustained, ambitious work that gives scientists and conservationists the time and resources they actually need. The $200 million will support 100 species facing imminent extinction, from mammals and birds to fish, plants, and invertebrates across 30 countries.

The project takes its name seriously. Species targeted for recovery include the ancient bowmouth guitarfish, the tree-dwelling Hickory Nut Gorge green salamander, and the freshwater Charco Azul pupfish. Each represents a critical piece of larger ecosystems that depend on their survival.

"Species on the brink of extinction are often the ones that anchor some of the world's most important ecosystems," DiCaprio explained. "When we protect those species, we also protect the forests, wetlands, grasslands and oceans they depend on."

The Bezos Earth Fund contributed $100 million directly, while Re:wild provided the other $100 million with support from DiCaprio, Age of Union, and the Todd Graves Family Foundation. Together, they're working alongside Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and scientists who've been fighting on the front lines of conservation for decades.

Lauren Sánchez Bezos, vice chair of the Bezos Earth Fund, framed the mission in terms every parent understands. "Kids fall in love with animals before anyone tells them those animals are disappearing," she said. "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 Ripple Effect

The Phoenix Species Project represents more than rescuing individual animals and plants. When a critically endangered species anchors an ecosystem, saving it protects entire habitats. Recovering a single salamander species can signal the health of an entire forest watershed. Bringing back a pupfish can indicate restored freshwater systems that communities depend on.

The commitment to long-term funding changes the conservation game entirely. Scientists can now plan ambitious recovery programs spanning years instead of scrambling for grants every season. Indigenous communities protecting their ancestral lands get sustained support instead of stopgap measures.

The project's founders hope this becomes a global movement inspiring others to invest seriously in nature protection and climate solutions at scale.

One hundred species across thirty countries now have a real shot at recovery, not just managed decline.