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Here's a riddle: what do a 1970s bombshell and a rebel billionaire have in common? Polar bears, sharks. and a mutual passion for wildlife conservation. Actress Bo Derek and adventurer Sir Richard Branson have joined forces with an organization called WildAid - and are calling on business leaders and politicians to commit to wildlife conservation.
They're working to pass legislation to protect Canada's polar bear population - since 2/3 of the world's polar bears live in Canada. WildAid is also trying to educate people about the shocking fact that tens of millions of sharks are killed every year - just for their fins, and have enlisted basketball superstar Yao Ming to work with Branson on this cause.
So how did Bo Derek go from setting the screen on fire in 1979 - with her iconic corn-rowed appearance on the beach in the movie '10' - to becoming a longtime animal welfare advocate? Was it her experience being mauled by wild animals on movie sets like 'Tarzan'? Was she seeking refuge from the savagery of paparazzi determined to document the life of a global sex symbol? Currently, Bo is on the board of directors of WildAid and WildAid Canada.
As for WildAid Ambassador Sir Richard Branson, trying to make a difference on pressing global issues like this is nothing new for the activist entrepreneur who - when he's not kite-surfing across oceans or running his Virgin Empire - has spearheaded initiatives on homelessness, poverty, peace, and renewable energy. Not bad for a dyslexic kid from England who dropped out at 16 to start a magazine for student activists, later signed the likes of Sex Pistols and the Culture Club. and has since became a death-defying, space-exploring cultural icon.
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