Neymar and Gisele Bündchen tackle deadly illegal trade in wildlife
Barcelona star Neymar has teamed up with Brazilian fashion model and actress Gisele Bündchen in a bid to tackle the deadly illegal trade in wildlife.
The Brazilian international will involve children from his Neymar Jr. Project Institute in the United Nations campaign.
“When my friend Gisele told me about the Wild For Life campaign to protect so many endangered animals, I had to act,” Neymar Jr. said.
“Football unites us all in a common goal. Winning as part of a team. We need to think of ourselves as global citizens, one great team that can win against the greed and ignorance that is allowing wildlife crime to flourish.”
The illegal trade in wildlife is a global problem that threatens species including elephants, rhinos, and tigers to pangolins, sea turtles, and rosewood.
Poaching has driven a 30 per cent decrease in African savanna elephants in the last four years, while three rhinos are killed every day.
Profits from the illegal wildlife trade often go into the pockets of international criminal networks, threatening peace and security, and damaging the livelihoods of local communities who depend on tourism.
Neymar, therefore, wanted to add his name to the #WildforLife campaign, aims to mobilise millions of people to make commitments and take action to end the illegal trade.
Former Barça midfielder Yaya Touré, movie star Li Bingbing and other global celebrities are also backing the United Nations campaign, which has just expanded to China.
