- CITES Mission Praises India’s transparency & science-led conservation
- International & Supreme Court reviews affirm zero violations
- A landmark recognition of Vantara’s compassion, compliance & world-class standards
NE ENVIRONMENT BUREAU
JAMNAGAR (GUJARAT), NOV 28
In a powerful endorsement of India’s wildlife conservation efforts, the Twentieth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES at Samarkand delivered a resounding verdict: there is no evidence, no grounds, and no justification to take any measures against India regarding animal imports. This outcome marks a historic validation of Vantara’s lawful, transparent, and science-driven approach to wildlife rescue and rehabilitation, placing the Jamnagar-based centre firmly among the world’s most trusted conservation institutions.
A UN-linked CITES Secretariat delegation had conducted a two-day technical mission to Vantara in September 2025, inspecting enclosures, veterinary systems, welfare protocols, records, and rescue infrastructure. Their detailed report of 30 September 2025 recognised Vantara as a “world-class, welfare-driven institution with modern infrastructure and advanced veterinary care.”
The Secretariat confirmed that Vantara’s operations are:
- Entirely non-commercial
- Fully aligned with global wildlife norms
- Grounded in animal welfare and conservation, not trade
- Marked by openness and cooperation with CITES processes
Sunday’s Standing Committee deliberations further cemented this position. With an overwhelming majority of CITES Parties supporting India, the global community put on record what evidence has consistently shown:
Vantara stands on the right side of conservation — of compassion, law, and scientific integrity.
This international vindication strongly echoes the findings of the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT), which scrutinised every allegation ever raised in public discourse. After exhaustive audits — including legal, financial, documentation, welfare, and CITES parameters — the SIT concluded that all claims were “unfounded, baseless, and devoid of factual or legal foundation.”
The SIT further affirmed that:
- “All animals were legally acquired with valid import permits for non-commercial purposes.”
- “There is no wildlife smuggling, no money laundering, and no financial irregularity of any kind.”
- “The so-called invoices” were nothing more than routine customs valuation documents.
- Vantara fully meets and in fact exceeds Central Zoo Authority norms and holds Global Humane Certified™ status.
International and national findings now converge on one unequivocal conclusion:
Vantara operates with the highest standards of legality, ethics, scientific rigour, and humane care.
At a time when misinformation can cloud public perception, these authoritative reviews — from the world’s leading wildlife compliance body and India’s apex judicial oversight — restore clarity and confidence.
They reaffirm that Vantara is not a private collection but a globally benchmarked centre of rescue, rehabilitation, and conservation excellence, proving that compassionate, compliant, world-class wildlife care is not only possible in India — it is already thriving in Jamnagar.
