What is Vantara? Reliance Foundation’s Anant Ambani unveils animal rescue & care facility

NEW DELHI: Reliance Industries and Reliance Foundation on Monday announced the launch of Vantara (Star of the Forest) programme, an umbrella initiative to focus on rescue, treatment, care and rehabilitation of injured, abused and threatened animals, both in India and abroad.
Passion project has become a mission: Anant Ambani

The Vantara initiative, the first of its kind in India, was conceptualised by Anant Ambani, director on the boards of RIL and Reliance Foundation.Speaking at the occasion, Anant Ambani said: “What started as a passion for me at a very young age has become a mission now with Vantara. We are focused at protecting critically endangered species native to India. We also want to restore vital habitats and address urgent threats to species and establish Vantara as a leading-edge conservation programme.”

Spread over 3,000 acres within the Green Belt of Reliance’s Jamnagar Refinery Complex in Gujarat, Vantara aims to be one of the leading contributors to conservation efforts globally.
Over the last few years, the programme has rescued more than 200 elephants, and thousands of other animals, reptiles and birds from unsafe situations. It has undertaken initiatives in key species including rhino, leopard and crocodile rehabilitation.

‘We do sewa here’

Explaining the philosophy that inspired him to establish Vantara, Ambani added, “Vantara is a combination of the age-old ethical value of compassion with the excellence of modern scientific and technological professionalism. I see Jeev Seva (animal care) as a seva towards the almighty as well as humanity. I drew inspiration to do this from my mother. In the Hindu religion, it is said that animals are dear to the gods.”

“We have saved more than 200 elephants and brought them here from all parts of the country. We do ‘sewa’ of elephants here. This is not a zoological park but a ‘sewalaya’. The 600-acre area has been developed as a natural habitat for elephants,” he said.

“We have made a veterinary hospital with state-of-the-art technology. The hospital has MRI & CT scan machines, endoscopic robotic surgery machines and 6 surgical centres. We also put prosthetics for the animals at the hospital here … The zoological park will be opened to the public soon,” said Ambani.

“Vantara aims to partner with the Zoo Authority of India and other relevant government organisations in improving all the 150-plus zoos in India in terms of training, capacity building and animal care infrastructure. We hope Vantara becomes a beacon of hope globally and can showcase how a forward-thinking institution can help the global biodiversity conservation initiatives,” he added.