New York:
Hollywood heartthrob LeonardoDiCaprio will be visiting India soon to see tigers in the wildand raise global awareness about their dwindling numbers.
The Titanic star is the ambassador for the WorldWildlife Fund (WWF) and met Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh to discuss potential ways for him to getinvolved in the cause of the Indian tiger.
"He (DiCaprio) is very keen to work on tigerconservation. He wants to take on a more visible role.Somebody like him could play an important role in sensitizingthe global community to the cause of the Indian tiger," Rameshsaid in an interview.
Earlier this year, DiCaprio had visited Nepal toassess the preservation programmes in place to save thespecies which is on the brink of extinction.
There are only an estimated 3,200 tigers left in thewild and India's tiger reserves are home to a sizeable chunkof the global tiger population.
"Leonardo has now started traveling around the worldlooking at tigers, trying to assess the role of climate changeon tiger habitats. We are inviting him to India. We want toget him to India and working with India on the issue ofclimate, forests and habitats," said Kevin Conrad, theexecutive director of the Coalition for Rainforest Nations.
No date has been set yet for DiCaprio's visit but itis expected to be in the next couple of months.
"Right now it is celebrity and a cause, let's take itfrom there," said Ramesh.
The 35-year-old actor is a keen environmentalist andis already working with Papua New Guinea to raise awarenessabout the impact of climate change on their forests."Tigers are endangered and critical to some of theworld's most important ecosystems," the actor had said in apublic message released by WWF in May.
"Key conservation efforts can save the tiger speciesfrom extinction, protect some of the planet's last wildhabitats and help sustain the local communities surroundingthem. By protecting this iconic species, we can save so muchmore," he added.
The Titanic star is the ambassador for the WorldWildlife Fund (WWF) and met Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh to discuss potential ways for him to getinvolved in the cause of the Indian tiger.
"He (DiCaprio) is very keen to work on tigerconservation. He wants to take on a more visible role.Somebody like him could play an important role in sensitizingthe global community to the cause of the Indian tiger," Rameshsaid in an interview.
Earlier this year, DiCaprio had visited Nepal toassess the preservation programmes in place to save thespecies which is on the brink of extinction.
There are only an estimated 3,200 tigers left in thewild and India's tiger reserves are home to a sizeable chunkof the global tiger population.
"Leonardo has now started traveling around the worldlooking at tigers, trying to assess the role of climate changeon tiger habitats. We are inviting him to India. We want toget him to India and working with India on the issue ofclimate, forests and habitats," said Kevin Conrad, theexecutive director of the Coalition for Rainforest Nations.
No date has been set yet for DiCaprio's visit but itis expected to be in the next couple of months.
"Right now it is celebrity and a cause, let's take itfrom there," said Ramesh.
The 35-year-old actor is a keen environmentalist andis already working with Papua New Guinea to raise awarenessabout the impact of climate change on their forests."Tigers are endangered and critical to some of theworld's most important ecosystems," the actor had said in apublic message released by WWF in May.
"Key conservation efforts can save the tiger speciesfrom extinction, protect some of the planet's last wildhabitats and help sustain the local communities surroundingthem. By protecting this iconic species, we can save so muchmore," he added.
