A project to build a large power line in Chile has been halted following a public appeal by actor Leonardo DiCaprio to protect the Pehuenche frog, also known as the spiny-chested frog, a rare species whose habitat would be threatened by the infrastructure.

According to DiCaprio, the power line project risks bringing the species to the brink of extinction by damaging the ecosystem where the frog lives. The actor intervened publicly to raise awareness of the danger posed by the project to the animal.

Chilean authorities have ordered the suspension of the works pending further assessments of the infrastructure's environmental impact on the species and its habitat.