Wildlife organisations urge Vantara to permanently end wild animal imports
Born Free joins call for Indian megazoo to make good on its promise to switch focus to conservation and genuine in situ sanctuary care.
Born Free is among nearly 30 leading wildlife protection organisations calling on Vantara, the private megazoo owned by Anant Ambani, the son of India’s wealthiest businessmen and founder of Reliance Industries, not only to make good on but improve its recently published undertaking to stop importing wild animals, and focus instead on helping to protect them in the countries and habitats in which they originated and belong.
Over recent years, Vantara has imported tens of thousands of wild animals from all over the world, many under questionable circumstances. They include some of the world’s rarest, most endangered, and iconic species, including great apes, Spix’s macaws, Galapagos iguanas and Shoebill storks.
Following several years’ scrutiny and widespread criticism of the megazoo’s operations by conservationists, wildlife trade experts, journalists and civil society organisations, in 2025 Vantara came under investigation by India’s High Court, and by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). While no formal charges were brought, in a letter to the Indian CITES authorities published in August this year, Vantara voluntarily announced a significant change in focus away from accumulating further animals, towards supporting in situ wildlife conservation and wild animal care.
In response, Will Travers OBE, Executive President of Born Free, said: “While we welcome the significant change of approach detailed in Vantara’s letter of 19th August, and Vantara’s decision to engage experienced and reputable advisors to provide oversight and governance, rebuilding trust will require them to make good on their promises, and indeed to go further. Vantara must demonstrate its commitment to support true sanctuaries in the species’ countries of origin, provide effective help to suppress the ravages of the wildlife trade, enhance wildlife law enforcement, and deliver high-quality rescue and care to wild animals in desperate need.”
To further emphasise these calls, leading conservation and animal welfare organisations, including Born Free, have published a response, in which they ask Vantara to provide “a profound and long-term commitment to advancing global efforts to end the capture of animals from the wild for collections or public display, and meaningful support for the organisations and relevant authorities working to protect wild species, in situ.”
They urge CITES Member States and Vantara to ensure full transparency, robust legal compliance, and genuine accountability to increase protection for threatened and traded species globally.
Will Travers continued: “If Vantara can demonstrate that they are genuinely willing to do this, they have the potential to make a real difference for wildlife, and we will be ready to engage.”