李奧納多‧狄卡皮歐不只是國際巨星，也是一名環保人士，他最近加入世界自然基金會美國分會(WWF-US)一項新的全球保育行動，要拯救瀕臨絕種的老虎。據估計，現在野外僅存3200隻老虎，世界自然基金會與李奧納多於5月27日宣布「馬上拯救老虎」行動(Save Tigers Now)，將會在2010年虎年期間推動。
此行動目的是要幫助提高大眾對於老虎生存危機的認識，並且募集老虎保護工作的經費。
為了紀念虎年，此項行動預計募集2千萬美元的資金，行動願景是要在2022年前讓全球野生老虎的數量加倍。
李奧納多所擁有的環境基金會將會支持這項行動，他表示：「老虎現在瀕臨滅絕，但對某些世界上最重要生態系而言，牠們的存在卻是至關重要的。」「保護老虎在地球上最後的野生棲地，並協助維持週遭地方社區的生計，這些關鍵的保育努力可以拯救各種老虎不至於滅絕。」
李奧納多將會與世界自然基金會的專家一齊前往亞洲，見證老虎面臨的威脅。他將會參與反盜獵巡邏、會晤保育園區守衛這批對抗國際非法交易第一線的人員，並且探尋保護野生老虎的最佳方式。
「馬上拯救老虎」網站也進行改版，讓網友可以跟隨李奧納多的旅程，參與拯救老虎的工作。
「給予老虎足夠的空間與保護，他們就會恢復數量。」世界自然基金會美國分會執行長卡特‧羅伯特斯(Carter Roberts)說：「但是，公眾的支持決定一切，而要增修法律、終止對老虎器官的需求，意味著我們必須要說出老虎的故事 - 要在如美國、印度與中國的這些地方說。」
「這就是為什麼與李奧納多的合作會這麼重要。」羅伯特斯說：「他可以傳達到大眾，把這個故事告訴給全世界的兒童與相關的領袖們 - 馬上拯救老虎。」
在棲地喪失與非法盜獵的威脅下，老虎數量正在快速減少；而其虎皮、虎骨與其他器官在許多地方文化中，被用作醫藥、法器、地位象徵與衣物。
老虎在歷史上曾分布的棲地中，超過90%已不再有老虎棲息。自1940年代以來，已有3種老虎亞種滅絕，而第4種，即華南虎，也有25年未有野外目擊紀錄。
※「馬上拯救老虎」網站：http://www.worldwildlife.org/savetigersnow/index.html
Actor and environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio has joined with WWF-US in a new global campaign to save endangered tigers. With only an estimated 3,200 tigers left in the wild, WWF and DiCaprio today announced that the Save Tigers Now campaign will run during the Chinese Year of the Tiger, 2010.
The campaign aims to help raise awareness about the threats to tigers and raise funds for tiger preservation efforts.
In honor of the Year of the Tiger, a goal of $20 million has been set for the campaign with the vision of doubling the world's wild tiger population by 2022, the next Year of the Tiger.
"Tigers are endangered and critical to some of the world's most important ecosystems," said DiCaprio, whose environmental foundation will provide support to the campaign.
"Key conservation efforts can save the tiger species from extinction, protect some of the planet's last wild habitats and help sustain the local communities surrounding them. By protecting this iconic species, we can save so much more," he said.
DiCaprio will be traveling to Asia with WWF experts to see the threats tigers face. He will participate in anti-poaching patrols, meet with park guards on the front lines of protecting tigers from international traffickers, and explore the best ways to protect wild tigers.
The new Save Tigers Now website will allow visitors to follow DiCaprio's journey and participate in the effort to save tigers.
"Give tigers enough space and protection and they'll recover," said WWF-US CEO Carter Roberts. "But public support means everything and changing laws and ending demand for tiger parts means we need to tell their story - in places like the U.S., India and China."
"Which is why this partnership with Leonardo is so important," said Roberts. "He can reach the public, tell this story to our children and engage leaders around the world - to save tigers now."
Tiger populations are shrinking fast as the species is threatened by habitat loss and illegal poaching; their skins, bones and other body parts are used in many cultures as medicines, talismans, status symbols and clothing.
More than 90 percent of historic tiger habitat is no longer inhabited by tigers. Three tiger sub-species have gone extinct since the 1940s and a fourth, the South China tiger, has not been seen in the wild for 25 years.
作者
In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
