Leonardo DiCaprio helps a distressed Democratic Republic of Congo nature reserve

ENVIRONMENT Virunga National Park is currently in a most critical situation

Leonardo DiCaprio has decided to support Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which was hit by a tragedy at the beginning of April. Africa’s oldest nature reserve, known for its gorilla population, was attacked by a group of Rwandan rebels, killing 12 rangers. The actor therefore participated in a $ 2 million donation made by the Earth Alliance, an organization he co-founded.


"I had the great honor of meeting and supporting the courageous Virunga team in their fight against illegal oil extraction in 2013. Virunga is in urgent need of funds to protect the endangered population of mountain gorillas and to support the rangers and their families who fell in the line of duty, but also to help prevent disease, "said Leonardo DiCaprio in a statement released by BBC News.

A serious situation

Virunga National Park is in a particularly critical situation. In addition to this attack, the coronavirus pandemic led to the closure of the site, cutting income from tourism. Worse still, the virus is a real threat to gorillas with whom humans share 98% of their DNA.