World-renowned Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio has expressed support for an initiative by Armenia and Colombia to establish the Coalition of Action to Recover Endangered Species (CARES) ahead of the COP17 conference opening in Yerevan. Sixteen countries have joined as founding participants.

DiCaprio wrote on Instagram:

“Preventing extinction isn’t enough. We need to bring threatened species back from the brink and recover them. Today’s announcements at the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP17) signal growing global momentum to make that happen.”

The actor highlighted that 16 countries, led by Armenia and Colombia, had joined the new Coalition of Action to Recover Endangered Species (CARES), committing to accelerate efforts to prevent extinctions and achieve measurable species recovery.

“Nine philanthropic funders and organisations, including my organisation Re:wild, formed the Species Recovery Alliance, collectively committing and aligning more than $500 million over five years to support the recovery of species around the world that are Extinct in the Wild, Critically Endangered and Endangered.

“These two separate initiatives share a common goal: helping the world’s most threatened species recover, which requires sustained investment, coordinated conservation action and long-term commitment.

“Congratulations to the founding governments and organisations,” DiCaprio said.