Celebrities, World Bank, attempt to save wild tiger
Several celebrities came out in support of a new World Bank initiative to preserve wild tigers.
Citing tiger population counts that have dwindled to a few thousand, several Hollywood stars have come out in support of a preservation campaign announced Monday by the World Bank.
The head of the World Bank, Robert Zoellick, told those gathered at a news conference at the National Zoo that the conservation initiative will find out “how to work with the local communities, so we can preserve some of the areas in which the tigers live.”
Actor Harrison Ford, known for his support of environmental causes, said, “I’m here to celebrate the World Bank’s plan to form a global alliance of conservation partners, to work with the tiger range nations in order to secure a future for these magnificent creatures.”
The audience included former actress Bo Derek, now a special envoy at the State Department fighting trafficking in wildlife. She told CNN the World Bank’s initiative to save the tigers should help counter “demand for their body parts, mainly in Asia,” and “loss of habitat” caused by the exploitation of natural resources.
