PA
Leonardo DiCaprio may be beloved around the world but it seems that he’s not proving too popular in Indonesia.
According to reports, Leo could actually be banned from the Southeast Asian nation after he went on a rant about the country’s palm oil industry.
The Academy Award winning actor recently made a one-day visit to the protected Mount Leuser National Park in northern Sumatra, reports the Mirror.
The lowland #rainforest of the Leuser Ecosystem are considered the world’s best remaining habitat for the critically endangered Sumatran #elephant. In these forests, ancient elephant migratory paths are still used by some of the last #wild herds of Sumatran elephants. But the expansion of Palm Oil plantations is fragmenting the #forest and cutting off key elephant migratory corridors, making it more difficult for elephant families to find adequate sources of food and water. The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation is supporting local partners to establish a mega-fauna sanctuary in the Leuser Ecosystem, last place on Earth where Sumatran orangutans, tigers, rhinos and elephants coexist in the wild. Click the link in the bio to stand with @haka_sumatra as they fight to protect the Leuser Ecosystem. #SaveLeuserEcosystem #Indonesia
A photo posted by Leonardo DiCaprio (@leonardodicaprio) on
Mar 28, 2016 at 6:22pm PDT
After investigating the area, Leo posted some photos of his visit to his Instagram account and voiced his concerns that the area was being threatened by palm oil plantations.
The 41-year-old was particularly concerned about how the expansion of the plantations could affect the well-being of the different species that live in the area.
In one caption, Leo wrote:
Its forests are home to the densest remaining populations of the critically endangered Sumatran #orangutan. But Palm Oil expansion is destroying this unique place. The expansion of palm oil plantations is fragmenting the forest and cutting off key elephant migration corridors.
As the forest of the #Indonesian #LeuserEcosystem continues to be cleared to meet demand for Palm Oil, the critically endangered Sumatran #orangutan is being pushed to the brink of extinction. Here, at the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme’s Orangutan Quarantine Center, rescued orangutans are rehabilitated so they can be released back into the wild. If we don't stop this rampant destruction, the Leuser Ecosystem and the Sumatran orangutans that call it home could be lost forever. Click the link in the bio to support this important work. #Indonesia
A photo posted by Leonardo DiCaprio (@leonardodicaprio) on
Mar 31, 2016 at 6:52am PDT
However, according to the BBC, Heru Santoso, a spokesperson for the director general of the immigration department has since claimed Leo could be ‘blacklisted’ for making such comments.
Santoso said:
In terms of [his] visa and immigration permit, Leonardo DiCaprio did not do anything wrong: He entered and left Indonesia legally. But, we still investigate. If DiCaprio’s posting in his social media can be categorised as incitement or provocation, we can blacklist him from coming back to Indonesia.
A world-class biodiversity hotspot, the #Indonesian Leuser Ecosystem is one of the most important areas of intact #rainforest left in Southeast Asia. Its forests are home to the densest remaining populations of the critically endangered Sumatran #orangutan. But Palm Oil expansion is destroying this unique place. Now is the time to save the Leuser Ecosystem. We must develop a permanent solution to protect and restore this valuable natural asset. Click the link in the bio to stand up and #SaveLeuserEcosystem. #Indonesia
A photo posted by Leonardo DiCaprio (@leonardodicaprio) on
Mar 29, 2016 at 9:21am PDT
Earlier this year, environmentalist Leo used his Oscars winning speech to warn the world about climate change.
Given all the amazing work Leo is doing to help the planet, it’d be pretty ridiculous if the Indonesian government actually do punish him for these comments.