India’s Top Court Orders Probe Into Anant Ambani’s Wildlife Center

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India-West News Desk

NEW DELHI – India’s Supreme Court has ordered an independent inquiry into Vantara, the wildlife rescue and rehabilitation project run by Mukesh Ambani’s son Anant, while stopping short of endorsing allegations of illegal animal acquisitions and mistreatment.

The court’s August 25 ruling came in response to petitions from wildlife groups that questioned how animals were acquired and whether India’s Central Zoo Authority properly oversaw the facility. “We consider it appropriate in the ends of justice to call for an independent factual appraisal,” the court said, appointing a panel headed by a former Supreme Court judge to review animal acquisitions—particularly elephants—along with compliance with India’s Wild Life Protection Act. The panel must submit its findings by September 12.

Vantara, is located within Reliance’s Jamnagar refinery complex in Gujarat and describes itself as a sanctuary and research hub, housing over 150,000 animals across 2,000 species. It also operates a 998-acre elephant welfare trust, which it says is the world’s largest such facility.

The facility has been under scrutiny since its unveiling in 2023 during Anant Ambani’s wedding festivities, when celebrity guests toured its animal enclosures, said Reuters. Activists in India and abroad have since raised concerns. In Maharashtra, locals protested the transfer of a 36-year-old temple elephant to Vantara, saying the animal had been central to their cultural and spiritual life for decades, Reuters reported.

The Wildlife Animal Protection Forum of South Africa wrote to its federal environment minister in March 2024, citing concerns from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) about India’s compliance, the news agency said. According to Vantara’s 2023–24 report, the facility received dozens of species from South Africa, including cheetahs, lions, caracals, leopards, and African wild dogs. The coalition argued that independent evidence is needed to verify whether these animals were genuinely rescued.

Vantara told Reuters the South African allegations were “entirely false and baseless,” adding that all transfers were carried out under federal and provincial rules. It said it has taken legal action against the coalition over its claims.

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