Leonardo DiCaprio Advocates for End of WildlifeTrade and Consumption
When you’re a celebrity with some 45+ million Instagram followers, using your social media platform as a voice for change can echo far and wide. Such is the case with a recent repost of A-list actor, Leonardo DiCaprio, who recently reposted environmental organization WildAid’s announcement that Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has “issued a new directive with urgent and powerful measures to restrict #wildlife trade and consumption, and reduce further pandemic risk.”
As a noted evangelist in the fight against climate change, this is far from the first time DiCaprio has spoken out against meat consumption or shared his support of organizations leading the charge. In the 2016 National Geographic film, Before the Flood, DiCaprio led viewers on an evocative journey to five continents and the Arctic to see the impact of global warming. Back in 1998, DiCaprio founded his namesake foundation dedicated to protecting vulnerable wildlife from extinction. In his recent re-post, DiCaprio shares Vietnam’s victory in working to dismantle the trade of wild animals.
“With immediate effect, the directive (29/CT-TTG) bans imports of live wild #animals and wildlife products, strictly eliminates any wildlife markets, and prohibits any hunting, transporting, slaughtering, selling, buying, storing, consuming, or advertising of wildlife, including online sales,” the caption reads, alongside a photo of a pangolin, a type of mammal sometimes known as scaly anteaters.
“Vietnam’s government shows strong leadership with this comprehensive action and focus on stopping imports, closing all wildlife markets and prohibiting any consumption, buying, and advertising. These actions will help save many species while also protecting global health. We will work with our partners to help make this a success,” said John Baker, Chief Program Officer at WildAid, in the WildAid announcement.
“This provides a great example to other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on how to address the threat of the wildlife trade to economic security and public health.” “This is huge for both the protection of wildlife and ourselves. We must end the trade,” the post concludes. Read the full statement below.
Here’s to hoping more countries will follow suit on these important efforts. Now, if only vegan cactus leather could replace all the snakeskin, leather, and wild animal skins in the fashion industry.