Angelina Bought Land in Cambodia and Stopped Poaching, Even Employing Former Poachers as Rangers

    Angelina Jolie purchased 60,000 hectares of land in Cambodia that had active poachers and turned it into a wildlife reserve named after her son. Some of the former poachers were employed as rangers.

    Angelina Jolie is well-known for her philanthropy. She has spearheaded a number of charitable endeavours, creating the Jolie-Pitt Foundation with her husband, Brad Pitt, which is dedicated to eradicating rural poverty and protecting natural resources.

    In 2003, Jolie purchased a house in Cambodia in a bid to connect to her son's place of birth and heritage. The house came with 39 hectares of land in the northwestern province of Battambang, which was adjacent to a national park that had been infilatrated by poachers who were known to be active at the time.

    The poachers threatened various populations of animals, including Asian black bears, elephants, and tigers.

    Jolie, in all her famous philanthropic swing, subsequently purchased the surrounding 60,000 hectares and turned it into a wildlife reserve that she named after her son; the Maddox Jolie Project.

    In 2006, she expanded the project and created Asia's first Millenium Village. The village accumulated villagers and 72 employees. Some of the villagers included former poachers who had been employed as rangers in the reserve.

    Thanks to her conservation efforts, the King of Cambodia, King Norodom Sihamoni, awarded her citizenship to the country in 2005.

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