- Anant Mukesh Ambani urges Colombia to halt planned culling of 80 hippos
- Proposes ‘scientifically led’ relocation to Vantara in Gujarat with full funding support
- Appeal stresses humane conservation, ecosystem balance, and global cooperation
- Decision now hinges on multi-nation approvals and ecological review
NE ENVIRONMENT BUREAU
VANTARA, JAMNAGAR, APR 28
In a significant global wildlife conservation intervention, Anant Mukesh Ambani has formally appealed to the government of Colombia to suspend its plan to cull 80 hippopotamuses and instead consider relocating them to India, offering to fully fund and execute the ambitious operation.
In a letter addressed to Environment Minister Irene Vélez Torres, Ambani—Executive Director at Reliance Industries Limited and founder of Vantara—proposed a “scientifically led” translocation of the animals from the Magdalena River basin to Jamnagar in Gujarat.
According to a statement issued by Vantara, one of the world’s largest wildlife rescue and conservation centres, Ambani has “formally asked the Government of Colombia to stay that decision and consider a humane alternative: a safe, scientifically led translocation that would bring the 80 animals to a permanent home at Vantara in Jamnagar, Gujarat.”
Colombian authorities recently authorised the lethal removal of 80 hippos from a rapidly expanding population—now estimated at around 200—descended from animals introduced in the 1980s and currently classified as invasive due to ecological and safety concerns.
“These eighty hippos did not choose where they were born, nor did they create the circumstances they now face,” said Anant Mukesh Ambani. “They are living, sentient beings, and if we have the ability to save them through a safe and humane solution, we have a responsibility to try.”
The proposal outlines comprehensive support including veterinary expertise, capture and transport logistics, stringent biosecurity protocols, and lifelong care within a purpose-built habitat in Jamnagar designed to mirror the animals’ natural ecosystem.
“Compassion and public safety are not opposing forces,” Ambani added. “With sound science and careful planning, it may be possible to protect riverine communities, preserve ecosystems and save animal life. Vantara has the expertise, infrastructure and resolve to support this effort, entirely on Colombia’s terms.”
The Magdalena basin’s growing hippo population has triggered an intense debate between culling and alternative conservation strategies. Vantara has urged authorities to defer lethal action while the relocation plan undergoes scientific and regulatory review.
Any translocation would require approvals from both the Indian and Colombian governments, along with clearances from international regulatory bodies, positioning the proposal as a complex but potentially landmark global conservation effort.
Framed within India’s expanding leadership in wildlife protection, the initiative underscores a broader push toward science-led, humane solutions to global biodiversity challenges—anchored in the belief that every life matters.
