South African Animal Rights Group Urges Investigation Into Vantara: Reports

A South African animal rights coalition has called on their government to investigate alleged wildlife exports to the Ambani family’s private zoo, Vantara.

The Wildlife Animal Protection Forum of South Africa, comprising 30 groups, has written to federal environment minister Dion George, urging an inquiry into “legitimate concerns” over wildlife exports to India, according to the Independent.

Vantara, officially known as the Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre, is a 3,000-acre facility in Gujarat run by Anant Ambani, son of billionaire Mukesh Ambani. It is described as a private “wildlife rescue and rehabilitation facility.”

The zoo dismissed the South African coalition’s complaint as “entirely false and baseless” and stated that legal action had been taken against the report.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the zoo on World Wildlife Day, 3 March, with photos of the event going viral on social media.