A new $200-million US initiative backed by Bezos and DiCaprio will help 100 threatened species.

The Phoenix Species Project will provide funding for breeding programs and conservation work, but raises questions about billionaire-backed philanthropy.

The question is urgent as governments pull back from climate and biodiversity commitments.

The Bezos Earth Fund has committed $100 million to the project, with other partners providing the rest.

The fund was founded by Jeff Bezos, Amazon's founder, who has faced criticism over environmental issues.

Amazon has partnered with water charities despite being criticized for its water usage.

Greenwashing is when companies give a false impression of their environmental record, says a researcher.

The researcher raised concerns about the project's selective disclosure of information.

The researcher said that even if the project is doing good, it may still be greenwashing if it hides harmful activities.

The contribution is a small drop in the bucket compared to Amazon's environmental impact.

The researcher is concerned that philanthropy can distract from the need for governments to address environmental issues.

We cannot rely on philanthropists to solve environmental problems, says the researcher.

The Bezos Earth Fund declined to answer questions about greenwashing and provided a statement instead.

The species were selected based on whether local partners were ready to carry out recovery work.

The initiative is part of the fund's $10-billion commitment to climate and biodiversity crises.

The fund will publish progress and setbacks through an online dashboard.

Dax Dasilva, a Montreal entrepreneur, is one of the project's partners.

Dasilva founded an environmental non-profit in 2021 and partnered with Re:wild in 2025.

Dasilva saw unique species in Madagascar, including indri and golden-crowned sifaka lemurs.

Dasilva said the project's impact will be transformational and its motivations should not be questioned.

Now is not the time to give up on conservation, says Dasilva.

Conservation work has been done on small budgets, with grants sometimes growing into fully developed programs.

The Phoenix funding will support habitat restoration, disease management, and conservation breeding.

A professor hopes the project will bring attention to the global biodiversity crisis.

Canadian wildlife is also at risk as endangered species protection is rolled back.

A new Species Conservation Act raises concerns about oversight and habitat protection.

The professor welcomes any opportunity to conserve biological diversity, regardless of the source.

The project's 100 species represent a fraction of the 49,000 on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List.

The initiative includes more than just charismatic animals, says the professor.

Private funding can support local work, but cannot replace environmental regulation and public funding.

The project could be an attempt to distract from the impact of data centres on the environment.

The results of the project should be easier to measure than the donors' motivations.

With files from Mitchell Fox.