Vantara's massive victory

Forests are the natural habitats of animals. Hunting them for sport was once considered an ancient form of entertainment. After the invention of firearms, humans began killing wild animals on a large scale. During British rule in India, hunting and capturing wild animals was one of their major pastimes. Even after laws banning the hunting of wildlife came into force, illegal hunting for ivory and other animal parts continued in the country. At the same time, forests were cleared and converted into human settlements. Across the world, forest cover has been steadily shrinking, posing a serious threat to the survival of wildlife.

While the government has launched several schemes and maintains national parks to protect wildlife, private companies and individuals have largely stayed away from this sector. An exception to this is Reliance Industries, which has set up Vantara, one of the country’s largest wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centres, in Gujarat. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the centre earlier this year. Spread across 3,000 acres, Vantara shelters more than 20,000 species and over 150,000 endangered animals. Managing the facility costs crores of rupees annually, and it is overseen by Anant Ambani, son of Reliance chairman Mukesh Ambani.

Located in Jamnagar, known as Gujarat’s 'green belt,' Vantara is not run like a zoo open to the public. Instead, it serves as a large-scale rescue and rehabilitation hub. Several global political and business leaders visiting India have toured the centre and given positive feedback. While such private initiatives are common and accepted in developed countries, Vantara initially faced scepticism in India. Allegations of water misuse, carbon credit violations, and money laundering were raised, leading two organisations- the Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre and the Radhekrishna Temple Elephant Welfare Trust- to approach the Supreme Court.

Following this, the Supreme Court appointed a special investigation team of retired judges and wildlife experts. The team found that there was no irregularity in the running of the centre and that the financial allegations were baseless speculation. The SIT has now given Vantara a clean chit, confirming that all rules and regulations were being followed. With this clearance, the centre is expected to continue providing world-class care for wildlife. If replicated by governments or private companies in other states, such initiatives could serve as a way of atoning for the centuries of cruelty humans have inflicted on wild animals.