Leonardo DiCaprio is fighting for endangered Indonesian elephants

Actor and environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio took a trip to the jungles of Indonesia over the weekend in a bid to garner support for the creation of a nature sanctuary on the island of Sumatra.

Updated on: Mar 30, 2016, 15:31:24 IST

PTI | By HT Correspondent, Los Angeles

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Actor and environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio took a trip to the jungles of Indonesia over the weekend in a bid to garner support for the creation of a nature sanctuary on the island of Sumatra.

The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation is teaming up with local partners to establish a “mega-fauna sanctuary in the Leuser Ecosystem.” (Instagram)

DiCaprio, 41, took to Instagram to share a photo of himself standing alongside two fellow environmentalist and two endangered elephants.

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“The lowland #rainforest of the Leuser Ecosystem are considered the world’s best remaining habitat for the critically endangered Sumatran #elephant,” wrote DiCaprio.

The lowland #rainforest of the Leuser Ecosystem are considered the world’s best remaining habitat for the critically endangered Sumatran #elephant. In these forests, ancient elephant migratory paths are still used by some of the last #wild herds of Sumatran elephants. But the expansion of Palm Oil plantations is fragmenting the #forest and cutting off key elephant migratory corridors, making it more difficult for elephant families to find adequate sources of food and water. The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation is supporting local partners to establish a mega-fauna sanctuary in the Leuser Ecosystem, last place on Earth where Sumatran orangutans, tigers, rhinos and elephants coexist in the wild. Click the link in the bio to stand with @haka_sumatra as they fight to protect the Leuser Ecosystem. #SaveLeuserEcosystem #Indonesia

A photo posted by Leonardo DiCaprio (@leonardodicaprio) on Mar 28, 2016 at 6:22pm PDT

The actor, who has been a strong advocate for global environmental issues, explained that the elephants and other animals living in the Leuser rainforest habitats are under threat after plans were announced to destroy patches of forest for commercial use.

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“Ancient elephant migratory patters are still used by some of the last #wild herds of Sumatran elephants. But the expansion of Palm Oil plantations is fragmenting the #forest and cutting off key elephant migratory corridors, making it more difficult for elephant families to find adequate sources of food and water.”

Not only does the Leuser Ecosystem provide habitats for animals, but it also supplies clean water to the citizens living in the area and its watersheds help protect from natural disasters.

A world-class biodiversity hotspot, the #Indonesian Leuser Ecosystem is one of the most important areas of intact #rainforest left in Southeast Asia. Its forests are home to the densest remaining populations of the critically endangered Sumatran #orangutan. But Palm Oil expansion is destroying this unique place. Now is the time to save the Leuser Ecosystem. We must develop a permanent solution to protect and restore this valuable natural asset. Click the link in the bio to stand up and #SaveLeuserEcosystem. #Indonesia

A photo posted by Leonardo DiCaprio (@leonardodicaprio) on Mar 29, 2016 at 9:21am PDT

To help combat the problem, DiCaprio’s namesake organization, The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, is teaming up with local partners to establish a “mega-fauna sanctuary in the Leuser Ecosystem.”

Along with elephants, the Leuser Ecosystem is the “last place on Earth” where orangutans, tigers and rhinos coexist.

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