Leonardo DiCaprio makes $3 million donation to WWF to save tigers in Nepal

Leonardo DiCaprio has donated $3 million to help save tigers in Nepal.

Leonardo DiCaprio, 39, made the donation to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) via his charitable foundation.

The funds will be used to significantly increase the number of tigers in Nepal by 2022 – the next year of the tiger.

In a statement, Leonardo DiCaprio said he’s “hopeful” the money will help “exceed the goal” of doubling Nepal’s tiger population.

Nepal’s tigers are classified as endangered and – as with the general tiger population – are under threat from “habitat destruction and escalating illegal poaching”.

The star’s donation will help enforce anti-poaching patrols and protect and restore areas for the tigers to breed in Nepal.

So far, the foundation has helped increase the tiger population in Nepal’s Terai Bardia National Park from 18 to 50.

“His foundation is all about delivering real results for conservation on the ground and empowering local communities; nowhere is that more evident than in Nepal,” said Carter Roberts, president of the WWF.

The DiCaprio Foundation aims to protect “Earth’s last wild places and foster a harmonious relationship between humanity and the natural world”.

Earlier this year, Leonardo DiCaprio’s foundation raised $38.8 million through donations and an art auction at Christie’s in New York.

The tiger grant is the first from the proceeds of the auction, according to the WWF.

Leonardo DiCaprio will next be seen on the big screen playing the lead in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street, due to be released on January 17.