15 Celebrities Who Opened Their Hearts To Animals This Year
1. Leonardo DiCapriogave $3 million to the environmental and ocean protection group Oceana. "Protecting our planet's oceans and the marine species that call it home is one of the most pressing sustainability crises facing humanity today," he said.
2. Ricky Gervais, a long-time animal lover, publicly backed the The Global March for Elephants and Rhinos and promoted the march on Twitter.
3. Meryl Streepreleased a statement to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on behalf of The Humane Society, which urged him to prohibit sales of rhino horn and ivory in the state. Streep's statement says: "As a New Jersey native I was delighted to learn from my friends at The Humane Society of the United States that our state could be the first in the country to enact a ban on the importation and sale of ivory – a product of horrific cruelty to elephants and rhinos, who could very well become extinct within decades if we don't act now. Governor, you have my full support and I hope you usher this critical bill through without delay." A bill prohibiting ivory sales in New Jersey was passed on Aug. 5.
4. Kathryn Bigelow, the Oscar-winning director of "The Hurt Locker," created a short film called "Last Days," which explores the moral and ecological repercussions of elephant poaching. Bigelow told The Daily Show's Jon Stewart, "There is the sort of terrorism you can do something about, by not buying these little trinkets, by not supporting this trade ... You can actually stop their revenue source."
5. Billy Joel made a public statement in support of an ivory ban in New York, addressing the fact that ivory is often used in piano keys. "A preference for ivory keys does not justify the slaughter of 96 elephants every day," he said. "There are other materials which can be substituted for piano keys. But magnificent creatures like these can never be replaced. Music must never be used as an excuse to destroy an endangered species."
6. Ariana Grande has been a vegan since November 2013, but she has also vocalized support for the anti-SeaWorld documentary "Blackfish," as well as worn PETA shirts that declare "find your voice for animals."
7. Paul McCartneysigned a left-handed Martin D-28 guitar, which was auctioned off at a starting price of $10,000, with all proceeds going towards Nature Conservancy's African Elephant Initiative. On the guitar, McCartney wrote "This guitar saves elephants" next to his signature .
8. Jon Stewart chewed out New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie for refusing to ban tiny pig gestation crates used in his state. Many speculated that Christie's decision was the result of outside pressure from Iowa's governor and the pork industry.
9. Jackie Chan partnered with WildAid to create a video that urges viewers to never buy products made from rhino horn:
10 and 11. Yao Ming and David Beckham, along with Prince William (see No. 14), teamed up with WildAid and the Royal Foundation's United for Wildlife Collaboration to create a PSA about illegal wildlife products, particularly rhino horn and ivory. "When I learned of the current poaching levels in Africa, I immediately agreed to help get this message out," says Beckham. "It is shocking to think that we could lose these animals from the wild in our lifetimes."
12. Ian Somerhalder's foundation continued to do great work in the animal rights and ecological realm. Somerhalder also took part in the Conservation International Initiative, in which he played the voice of the coral reef.
13. Chelsea Clinton spoke at the Clinton Global Initiative in September, and cautioned the audience about the threats facing wild elephants. "The child Marc and I are waiting to bring into this world could grow up in a planet without elephants," she said. Chelsea also teamed up with brika.com to launch elephant-themed gifts that will benefit groups working to stop the poaching of wild elephants.
14. Prince William kicked off his tour of New York City in December by addressing the illegal wildlife trade at the World Bank Group's International Corruption Hunters Alliance. Prince William founded the organization United For Wildlife and has been speaking out about wildlife conservation for the several years.
15. Sam Simon, the creator of The Simpsons, bought a chinchilla farm this year in order to save more than 400 of the furry little creatures. Simon is terminally ill with colon cancer and has chosen to give his fortune away to humanitarian and animal rights charities. "There is no area of charity right now that you get fast results, and see changes, as with animal rights," Simon told NBC's Maria Shriver. "There are victories every day."