Ellen DeGeneres has found a novel way to celebrate Earth Day 2021. On Thursday, April 22, the popular star’s organization, The Ellen Fund, launched the Endangered Campaign to help fund nonprofits. And it is trying to offer support to the endangered animal species.
This initiative has enabled the organization called The Elephant Cooperation and has largely donated $250,000. This is to help in the cause of caring for the endangered animal species and ensuring there is greater protection for elephants in their habitats.
All about the Ellen Fund
The Ellen Fund was a gift from her wife, Portia de Rossi, in 2018. The initial project was to establish a 12-acre campus specifically for wild mountain gorillas in Northern Rwanda, which may open later. And this launch coincides with Elle’s show Endangered. This documentary film that Ellen narrated made its debut on Earth Day and streamed on the platform Discovery+.
The film was produced on the Discovery, and it was on air on the BBC Natural History Unit. The documentary focuses on some conservation efforts to save some of the most endangered animal species you could find, including lemurs, gorillas, giraffes, sharks, clouded leopards, and Indonesian songbirds.
‘Endangered, Streaming Now!’
Ellen announced on the trailer that Endangered is one of the most ambitious projects. It involves ten thousand scientists. And together, they make the most ambitious conservation effort attempted by anyone. Ellen reiterated that these are the people who risked their lives to save their beloved animals. Ellen posted the same on all her social media handles.
The documentary, premiering on Discovery+ on Earth Day (April 22), follows conservationists worldwide. And it captures their journey as they try to help seven different endangered species and bring them back from extinction. DeGeneres is lending her voice to this noble cause and contributing to conservationists’ work through The Ellen Fund.
The Plight of the Giraffe
One of the primary animals on the brink of extinction and share Endangered’s spotlight is the giraffe. The documentary will share the view of Dr. Julian Fennessy, who is the director and co-founder of GCF, Giraffe Conservation Foundation, who was working with his team tirelessly to protect the Earth’s slowly dwindling giraffe populations.
GCF is all about securing the future of the giraffe population across the world. The count of giraffes in Africa has dwindled to 117,000 Africa, so now there is one giraffe for every 4 African elephants. A grim situation this is. However, with conscious action, we can make a difference. Giraffe is an important part of the ecosystem, and they share an important role, in seed disposal. Besides maintaining ecological balance, they also act as pollinators and pens up habitats for wildlife. It is upon us humans to take care of the unique lovable, and tall creatures who are among the most iconic creatures in the world.
The Other Conservationists
Thankfully, we have several other conservationists making the world a better place to live in, including Joanna Lumley, Prince William, and Jackie Chan. They are all doing their bit for the tigers. These celebrities are indefatigably raising awareness of the plight of these beautiful creatures. They indulge in activities to help the cause, including writing letters, staging events, and filming heartfelt messages to make the common public more aware of the plight of these majestic creatures.
And there are more and more celebs who are championing the cause of the tigers. Some of the key celebrities include Sir Paul McCartney, Stephen Fry, and Ricky Gervais, who have been putting their message across endangered cats. It is about the tigers only and other more uncommon yet endangered creatures such as pangolin. They have been doing their bit who are working with various charities, signing off various petitions, or speaking out in the name of conservation.
There are celebs like Leonardo DiCaprio who have become the celebrity pinup for conservationists. His eponymous foundation has donated millions of dollars to make a crackdown on the illegal ivory trade. Besides that, he is also contributing towards safeguarding marine and polar habitats. And we could say that his efforts are an inspiration to millions of people worldwide.
We are so glad that Ellen is one of the many celebrities working towards protecting the animals and the environment. We hope that everyone would take the lead from their favorite celebrities and do their bit too. Remember, no action is too small. And every little contribution towards conserving the environment counts!
