Leonardo DiCaprio has pledged $3 million to fight the Australian wildfires.
The ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ actor has launched the Australia Wildfire Fund through his Earth Alliance organisation – of which he is chair, alongside philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs and billionaire Brian Sheth – to raise money for the cause and has promised to hand over the sum to those tackling the blazes, which burned through over 41,000 square miles and destroyed more than 2,000 homes Down Under since September.
Earth Alliance said: "All funds will go to assist critical firefighting efforts in New South Wales, aid local communities most affected by the wildfires, enable wildlife rescue and recovery, and support the long-term restoration of unique ecosystems."
The organisation will be working with companies in Australia fighting the blaze, including WIRES Wildlife Rescue, Aussie Ark and Bush Heritage.
In August, Earth Alliance established the Amazon Forest Fund to raise money to combat fires raging through the Amazon rainforest.
Leonardo is the latest star to donate to the cause, following previous pledges from the likes of Shawn Mendes, Kylie Jenner, Ellen DeGeneres, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, Sir Elton John, Chris Hemsworth, Pink, and Kylie Minogue in donating to causes dedicated to trying to stop the raging fires.
Lip kit mogul Jenner donated $1 million this week, after she was accused of being insensitive when she bragged on social media about her Louis Vuitton mink-fur slippers – worth €1,100.00 – just hours after claiming she had a broken heart following news that half a billion animals had been killed in the bushfires.
The animal death toll has now tragically risen to an estimate of over one billion, which takes into account those killed in the fires, as well as those that will die from indirect causes such as starvation and dehydration.
Leonardo DiCaprio’s 3m donation to Australia
