NEW DELHI Aug 21 — India’s vast Vantara zoo, which calls itself the world’s largest animal rescue centre, has announced a major reset under the former head of a global wildlife watchdog following sharp criticism of its operations.
The overhaul follows concerns about its rapid acquisition of animals from around the world and questions about procedures for approving imports of protected species.
Founded by Anant Ambani, son of billionaire tycoon Mukesh Ambani, Vantara will shift away from importing animals and towards supporting conservation in their countries of origin, said John Scanlon, who was appointed on Thursday.
Scanlon, who headed the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) from 2010 to 2018, will chair the centre’s newly created governing council, with authority over decisions on animal acquisitions.
“Vantara has sought, obtained, and acted upon external advice as it takes bold steps to reset its operations,” Scanlon said in a statement issued by Ambani’s Reliance Industries.
“In making this reset, it has decided to voluntarily strengthen its internal due diligence governance, expertise and processes, and to pivot from ex situ rescue towards providing in situ support to countries, including in India.”
The sprawling 3,500-acre (1,416-hectare) wildlife facility at Jamnagar, in the western state of Gujarat, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2025, housing endangered species on baking hot lands next to a giant oil refinery complex.
It has more than 260 Asian elephants, and includes what it says is the world’s “largest dedicated elephant hospital”, as well as scores of bears, tigers, lions, leopards and hundreds of crocodiles.
It offered in April to take hippos descended from those introduced to Colombia by drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, rather than have the animals killed.
‘New chapter’
Experts have repeatedly raised concerns over Vantara’s vast animal intake, including the import of critically endangered and rare species.
The CITES Secretariat recommended serious reforms in 2025 to ensure Vantara does “not inadvertently become a driver of illegal harvest of wild animals”.
Vantara said this month it had submitted “voluntary commitments” to CITES, also filed at India’s Supreme Court, including to “withdraw all pending applications to import live animals”.
It said it had self-imposed a minimum one-year moratorium on imports until June 2027 while it “builds the governance, the expertise and processes” needed.
Vantara also pledged to support local conservation in India, including state forest departments, rescue centres, breeding programmes and zoo modernisation.
Globally, it said it would focus on “strengthening rescue centres, veterinary hospitals and conservation programmes in range states, rather than relocating animals”.
Proposed projects ranged from Brazil — to support Spix’s macaws, one of the world’s rarest birds — to projects in Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya and Rwanda and elephant care centres in Indonesia and Zimbabwe.
“This represents a new chapter for Vantara,” CEO Vivaan Karani said in a statement.
“Ultimately, we want to be judged not by how many animals come to Vantara, but by how many animals are helped where they belong, the species recovered in the wild, the people trained, the countries supported and the science and expertise we are able to share.” — AFP
