Angelina Jolie’s Cambodian conservation efforts expand over 23 years

Over the past 23 years, Angelina Jolie’s connection to Cambodia has evolved from a film location into a significant conservation and community initiative. Following the filming of ‘Lara Croft: Tomb Raider’ in 2001, Jolie became a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador and adopted her eldest son, Maddox, in the country in 2002.

In 2003, Jolie purchased a 39-hectare rural estate in the Battambang province near the Samlaut forest. This purchase served as the foundation for the Maddox Jolie-Pitt Foundation, which manages conservation efforts across the much larger 60,994-hectare Samlaut Multiple Use Area. The foundation focuses on protecting the region from illegal logging, poaching, and the lingering dangers of unexploded landmines.

The initiative has supported local biodiversity, including Asian elephants, pangolins, and approximately 140 bird species. Notably, the program has provided employment opportunities by training local residents, including former poachers, to serve as forest rangers to protect the ecosystem.