- The centre, spread over 3,000 acres, aims to focus on the rescue, treatment, care and rehabilitation of animals that have been ill-treated, endangered or injured, in India as well as abroad
- Anant Ambani’s passion project houses a veterinary hospital with state-of-the-art technology
- I drew inspiration from my mother to begin such an initiative: Anant Ambani
NE NEWS SERVICE
JAMNAGAR, FEB 26
Reliance Industries and Reliance Foundation, on Monday, announced the launch of Vantara, an Animal Rescue, Care, Conservation and Rehabilitation programme, within the Green Belt of Reliance’s Jamnagar Refinery Complex in Gujarat.
The centre, spread over 3,000 acres, aims to focus on the rescue, treatment, care and rehabilitation of animals that have been ill-treated, endangered or injured, in India as well as abroad. The facility houses about 50-60 endangered species of rescued animals, according to media reports. A dedicated team of 3,000 people are taking care of the animals.
Anant Ambani, son of Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani, said this is his passion project.
The first-of-its-kind animal rescue and conservation programme in the country, Vantara houses a veterinary hospital with state-of-the-art technology. “The hospital has MRI & CT scan machines, endoscopic robotic surgery machines and six surgical centres. We also put prosthetics for the animals at the hospital here,” Anant Ambani said.
He said he drew inspiration from his mother to begin such an initiative. “In the Hindu religion, it is said that animals are dear to the gods. This also inspired me to open this animal rescue and rehabilitation centre.”
Noting that a 600-acre area has been developed as a natural habitat for elephants, he said they have already saved 200 elephants and brought them to the centre.
“We started the wildlife rescue center building in the peak of Covid. We have created a jungle of 600 acres. We created an entire habitat for the elephants and in 2008, we rescued our first elephant.”
“What you have seen is 8-10 per cent of my vision. My vision is that in Jamnagar, we would like to be the world’s most advanced wildlife institute, and we would also like to conserve and breed critically endangered species and release them back into their habitat,” he added.
Reliance Industries and Reliance Foundation announce the launch of their Vantara programme. Vantara means Star of the Forest, an umbrella initiative to focus on rescue, treatment, care and rehabilitation of injured, abused and threatened animals, both in India and abroad.… pic.twitter.com/svzlaI2iWR
— Reliance Foundation (@ril_foundation) February 26, 2024
Elephant Centre
The Centre for Elephants at Vantara is spread over a large part of the 3,000 acre premises with state-of-the-art shelters, scientifically designed day and night enclosures, hydrotherapy pools, water bodies & a large elephant jacuzzi for treating arthritis in Elephants. It is home to over 200 Elephants who are cared for round-the-clock by a specialized and trained staff of over 500 people, including vets, biologists, pathologists, nutritionists and naturalists.
The Centre also applies ayurveda techniques to care for the elephants, from application of hot oil massages to multani mitti, ayurveda practitioners also work round the clock for the Elephants.
Rescue & Rehabilitation Centre
For other wild animals that have been deployed in circuses or congested zoos, a Rescue and Rehabilitation centre of over 650 acres within the 3000 acre premises has been created where animals from distressed and dangerous environments from India and all over the world are rescued and housed in state-of-the-art large enclosures and shelters.
With a staff strength of about 2100+, the rescue and rehabilitation Centre has rescued about 200 leopards from all over India which have suffered injuries in road accidents or man-wild conflicts. It has rescued over 1000 crocodiles from a severely overcrowded and congested facility in Tamil Nadu. It has rescued animals from hunting lodges in Africa, animals under threat of euthanasia in Slovakia, severely distressed animals from facilities in Mexico.
Over 2000+ animals across 43 species are under the care of the Rescue & Rehabilitation Centre.
For about 7 endangered species of Indian as well as foreign animals the Centre has started conservation breeding programs with the objective of having a viable reserve population to repopulate the populations of endangered species in their native habitats to save them from extinction.
Compliance in Rescue and Exchange
All the rescued animals have been brought to Vantara after obtaining prior approval of the Chief Wildlife Wardens of the respective states and the Central Zoo Authority as per provisions laid under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and the recognition Zoo rules, 2009. All animal exchange programmes are done on approval / permission from Central Zoo Authority. Vantara has also answered to exchange requests from other institutions in India and overseas. Such animals were brought in after obtaining necessary permissions from Central Zoo Authority, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Directorate General of Foreign Trade, Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau.
National and International Collaborations
The Vantara programme has gained tremendously by working together with international organisations like Venezuelan National Foundation of Zoos and by associating with reputed organisations worldwide like the Smithsonian and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. In India, it collaborates with the National Zoological Park, Assam State Zoo, Nagaland Zoological Park, Sardar Patel Zoological Park etc.
Education and Awareness
In order to increase awareness of conservation issues among people particularly the youth and children, the Vantara initiative envisages close collaboration with educational institutions including knowledge and resource exchange. It also envisages creation of a display area for some of the animals in modern and futuristic, climate controlled enclosures setting new standards in compassion and care.
Green Areas
Firmly believing that rescue and conservation of animals must go hand-in-hand with greening initiatives, the Vantara programme also envisages a continuing greening of the Reliance Refinery areas and has already greened thousands of acres of Land.
