Leonardo DiCaprio advocates saving endangered swift parrot; shares statement
Hollywood star and environmental advocate Leonardo DiCaprio has called on Australia to stop logging native forests to save the critically endangered swift parrot. In an Instagram post, DiCaprio wrote about the dwindling breeding habitat of the parrot in Tasmania, with only around 750 of these birds left in the wild. He stated, "The Australian government has promised that it will prevent any new extinctions. Conservationists continue to encourage them to uphold their zero extinction commitment."
Swift parrot's declining population and threats
The swift parrot is a migratory bird that winters in Victoria and New South Wales and nests in Tasmanian forests during the summer, depending on the flowering of its primary food sources, blue and black gums. A 2021 CSIRO guide estimated the population had dropped to about 750 from 2,000 a decade ago. Research indicated that without proper protection, the species could become extinct within 10 years, with forestry posing the greatest threat to its survival.
Re:wild's involvement in environmental conservation
DiCaprio's post highlighted a recent court win for the Bob Brown Foundation, which obtained a temporary injunction against logging in a forest area south of Hobart. Re:wild, a conservation group supported by DiCaprio, brought the swift parrot's plight and the court case to the actor's attention. Bob Brown said, "Leonardo DiCaprio has put Tasmania on the map big time, and the plight of the swift parrot is now well and truly global."
Australian government's plan to save endangered species
Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek expressed her desire for swift parrots to flourish for future generations. "That's why last year I released the national recovery plan for the swift parrot to protect and revive this iconic species. And that's why we are reforming our laws to ensure that native forest logging is regulated by national environment," she said. Plibersek added that the government is investing $500M in saving species and eliminating feral animals, including specific programs for the swift parrot.
DiCaprio recently shed light on plight of Zanzibar Red Colobus
Recently, the Titanic actor took to social media and wrote about another endangered animal, the Zanzibar Red Colobus. DiCaprio penned, "A new protected area has been established to safeguard the Endangered Zanzibar Red Colobus. Conservationists have worked for 7+ years on the archipelago of Zanzibar to make the Kidikotundu-Nongwe-Vundwe Reserve a reality." "This protected area now protects roughly 500 individuals of this Endangered primate - representing over 10% of their entire global population."
