Global groups urge permanent ban on wildlife imports at Vantara

A group of 27 global conservation organisations has written to Vantara to demand a permanent stop to wild animal imports. This letter comes after Vantara announced a temporary pause on animal imports until June 2027. Vantara is a private zoo and rescue centre in India owned by the Ambani family. The conservation groups state that a temporary break might make animal traders think imports will start again later. They worry this could cause traders to collect and stock animals while they wait for the pause to end. Vantara announced its temporary pause on August 19 to set up internal checks. A 2025 report by the CITES Secretariat had raised questions about the source and number of wild animals approved by India for Vantara. The CITES report noted that many of these animals did not have a history of being bred in captivity. Vantara stated it will now focus more on protecting animals in their native countries and has set up a three-tier system to check future animal arrivals. This system includes an internal Due Diligence Committee, an Advisory Board, and a Governing Council led by John E. Scanlon AO, a former secretary general of CITES. Vantara stated it is holding itself to high standards to build trust with authorities and the conservation community. However, the groups signing the letter want independent oversight instead of internal committees. They sent their letter on September 22 to Vantara's President of Regulatory Affairs, Amit Aggarwal. Some of the groups that signed include the Jane Goodall Institute Global, Pro Wildlife, the Pan African Sanctuary Alliance, and the Born Free Foundation. Experts on Vantara's new panels include Jonathan Bardzo, Manilal Valliyate, and Matti Kiupel, among others. The letter points out that these panel members may get paid by Vantara and can be fired by Vantara, which raises questions about how independent they really are. The letter asks Vantara to publish a public inventory of its 47,633 animals, including details on where they came from and records of any deaths. A Special Investigation Team set up by the Supreme Court previously cleared Vantara of wrongdoing in animal acquisitions. However, the CITES Secretariat found flaws in the codes identifying animal transfers. Vantara houses thousands of animals, including snow leopards, Spix's macaws, and Tapanuli orangutans. The letter asks Vantara to stop paying for animals and to focus on sending animals back to their home countries when possible.