Thanks to support from moviegoers nationwide, Disneynature and Conservation International are pleased to announce the results of their conservation initiative tied to the new movie “Monkey Kingdom,” in theaters now. As part of the program, Disneynature committed a portion of opening week ticket sales (April 17-23, 2015) through the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund in support of conservation projects in Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Indonesia, including:
- Programs working across 1 million acres of some of the world’s most biologically diverse ecosystems
- Protection of important habitats for thousands of species, including 29 different types of primates and other wildlife such as Asian elephants, Javan leopards, sun bears and the giant ibis
- Planting thousands of trees to create a “green wall” that protects two major national parks and a watershed that provides fresh water to more than 30 million people
- Educating visitors, community members and school children about the importance of local conservation of nearby endangered habitat
- Ranger training and patrols to monitor and protect 185 acres of endangered forests
- Operation of a gibbon rescue-and-rehabilitation center
“Disneynature’s films help the audience care about and understand nature,” said Peter Seligmann, Chairman and CEO of Conservation International. “That alone is an incredibly important contribution to conservation. But Disneynature does more than tell a powerful, emotional story. It is committed to supporting programs in the field that directly benefit at-risk ecosystems, as well as the animals and people that depend upon them. This kind of support helps organizations like Conservation International create lasting impact on the ground.”
“Disneynature films are created to entertain and engage audiences while contributing in a meaningful way to the planet, and Monkey Kingdom succeeds in both,” said Paul Baribault, Vice President, Marketing, The Walt Disney Studios. “With these films, Disney is proud to support the work of leading organizations like Conservation International in preserving our natural world for future generations.”
The Disneynature conservation efforts surrounding “Monkey Kingdom” attracted support from within Disney and beyond.
- Young fans unlocked an exclusive monkey costume on Disney Club Penguin to support Conservation International: www.clubpenguin.com
- The Disney Music Group will contribute 20% of the purchase price of each single track download of Jacquie Lee’s “It’s Our World” song from the film to Conservation International
- The Disney Store committed a portion of the sale of Maya and Kip character plush to Conservation International: www.disneystore.com
- Disney Cruise Line made a contribution in celebration of the movie, which also premiered on the high seas
- Regal Entertainment Group supported a gift card program in conjunction with “Monkey Kingdom” that resulted in a contribution to Conservation International: www.regmovies.com
New York jewelry designer Alex Woo designed eco-friendly pendants inspired by the film, available in Sterling Silver & 14kt Gold—a portion of each sale benefits Conservation International:www.alexwoo.com
To learn more about the work Disneynature is supporting with Conservation International, go to: www.conservation.org/MonkeyKingdom