Re:wild and the Bezos Earth Fund announced the Phoenix Species Project on 4 August 2026, with a $200 million commitment to support the recovery of 100 critically endangered and extinct-in-the-wild species. The initiative covers species across seven broad groups—mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds, fish, invertebrates and plants—in 30 countries.
Project Funding and Partnerships
The Bezos Earth Fund pledged 100 million, and Re:wild contributed the other 100 million. Additional support came from Leonardo DiCaprio, Age of Union and the Todd Graves Family Foundation. Re:wild was co-founded by DiCaprio, while the Bezos Earth Fund is chaired by Jeff Bezos.
More than 100 partners are involved, including Indigenous Peoples, local communities, scientists and governments. The IUCN Species Survival Commission serves as a global knowledge partner. The project provides five years of support for each species, allowing recovery teams to plan beyond short-term grants. It is described as the largest single philanthropic project dedicated exclusively to recovering critically endangered species.
Species Conservation and IUCN Categories
The project’s target list includes species classified as Critically Endangered or Extinct in the Wild. These are categories in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Critically Endangered is a threatened category; Extinct in the Wild applies to species surviving only in cultivation, captivity or outside their former range.
Examples include Madagascar’s golden-crowned sifaka, the Hickory Nut Gorge green salamander in North Carolina, Australia’s night parrot, Mexico’s Charco Azul pupfish, the bowmouth guitarfish and the Visayan warty pig of the Philippines. The golden-crowned sifaka is a lemur, while the bowmouth guitarfish is a ray.
Long-Term Recovery and Monitoring
The project plans to track population recovery and reductions in threats, with updates on its website and social media platforms. A 2024 study published in Science analysed 186 studies covering 665 trials; in two-thirds of cases, conservation action improved biodiversity or slowed declines compared with no action.
Important Facts for Exams
- The Phoenix Species Project began with a $200 million commitment divided equally between Re:wild and the Bezos Earth Fund.
- The project’s 100 target species are located across 30 countries and span mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds, fish, invertebrates and plants.
- The IUCN Species Survival Commission is the project’s global knowledge partner.
- Each target species is slated to receive five years of support.
The project’s stated monitoring measures include tracking population recovery and threat reduction.
