NEW DELHI: The Wildlife Animal Protection Forum of South Africa (WAPFSA), a coalition dedicated to advocating for animal welfare, has expressed serious concerns over the export of large numbers of leopards, cheetahs, tigers, and lions to the Greens Zoological, Rescue, and Rehabilitation Centre (GZRRC), also known as Vantara. The facility, owned by Anant Ambani, son of industrialist Mukesh Ambani, was launched on February 26, 2024, and inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on World Wildlife Day, March 3.However, experts have raised questions about the suitability of Vantara’s location. Situated in Gujarat, the 3,000-acre facility is in a region known for its high temperatures, which many argue is unsuitable for several of the species housed there. These concerns were formally outlined in a letter issued by WAPFSA on March 6 to various authorities, including South Africa’s Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (DFFE), the South African CITES Management Authority, and the CITES Secretariat.
According to GZRRC’s 2023/2024 Annual Report, 56 cheetahs were exported to Vantara from South Africa. WAPFSA has questioned the origins of these animals and the lack of non-detrimental findings required for such exports. “We have raised all necessary concerns regarding the export of twelve cheetahs to India and question where the 56 cheetahs were sourced from in South Africa,” the letter stated.
The report also detailed the export of numerous other species, including aardvarks (4), caracals (52), jaguars (6), leopards (19), lions (70), African wild dogs (20), elands (20), marmosets (10), tigers (60), banded mongooses (30), and ring-tailed lemurs (40). Other animals such as nyala, sable antelope, warthog, wildebeest, spotted hyena, and springbok were also listed.
WAPFSA has raised alarms about the conditions under which these animals are being kept. While the facility claims to improve the living conditions of lions and tigers exported from South African breeding facilities, the organization argues that this does not justify their potential exploitation. “This does not change the reality that they may now be transformed into breeding machines, exploited within the numerous animal breeding facilities located outside the main zoo,” the letter stated.
The organization has called for an independent scientific investigation to ensure the welfare of the animals. “Most wildlife experts agree that placing animals in any captive environment is inherently a form of mistreatment. A life in captivity, no matter how advanced the facilities, can never replicate a life lived in natural surroundings. Captivity imposes conditions on wild animals that they are not adapted to thrive in,” WAPFSA emphasized in their statement.
The concerns raised by WAPFSA highlight the ethical and environmental challenges associated with large-scale animal exports and captivity. As the debate continues, the call for transparency and accountability in the treatment of these animals grows louder, underscoring the need for a thorough and independent review of Vantara’s operations.
