When it comes to the environment, Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the most outspoken advocates for its preservation. From his many social media posts on global warming to addressing it in his Oscars speech, it’s very clear just how passionate he is on the matter as he is with his acting in The Revenant. However, his Instagram posts during his recent trip to Indonesia may have gotten him in hot water with the said country’s government.
In a series of posts, he addresses how the animals in the Leuser Ecosystem, a sanctuary which houses endangered orangutans, rhinos, tigers, and Sumatran elephant, are losing their habitats because of the expansion of palm oil plantations in the area. He also notes that these plantations are “fragmenting the [forest] and cutting off key elephant migratory corridors, making it more difficult for elephant families to find adequate sources of food and water,” and also making animal rehabilitation more difficult.
As the forest of the #Indonesian #LeuserEcosystem continues to be cleared to meet demand for Palm Oil, the critically endangered Sumatran #orangutan is being pushed to the brink of extinction. Here, at the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme’s Orangutan Quarantine Center, rescued orangutans are rehabilitated so they can be released back into the wild. If we don’t stop this rampant destruction, the Leuser Ecosystem and the Sumatran orangutans that call it home could be lost forever. Click the link in the bio to support this important work. #Indonesia A photo posted by Leonardo DiCaprio (@leonardodicaprio) on Mar 31, 2016 at 6:52am PDT
Meanwhile, the Indonesian government got wind of these posts, and are warning Leo that they can instantly ban him from the country. Heru Santoso, spokesperson for the Directorate General for Immigration, tells The Associated Press that they “can blacklist him from returning to Indonesia at any time, if he keeps posting incitement or provocative statements in his social media.”
Yikes, they’re definitely not kidding around. And knowing Leo, we’re betting he’s not going to stop this fight to save the animals at the Leuser Ecosystem. And if you’re questioning his determination, don’t forget about how many times he had to out-act all his movie roles to win that Oscar.
[The Cut]
Photo courtesy of Deadline
