Opinion
The Move Of Hiring International Youtubers To Showcase Anant Ambani’s Private Zoo. Money Talks But Could There Be More Than What Meets The Eye?
Anant Ambani, the younger son of Mukesh Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Industries, has launched an ambitious wildlife preservation project that’s set to become the world’s largest zoo and rehabilitation center.
Named Vantara, which means ‘Star of the Forest,’ this massive initiative covers 3,000 acres within the Green Belt of Gujarat, located in Reliance’s Jamnagar Refinery Complex.
Vantara, a passion project of Anant Ambani and supported by Reliance Industries and the Reliance Foundation, isn’t just your typical zoo. It’s a rehabilitation center aimed at giving abused, injured, and endangered animals a second chance.
The goal is to recreate natural habitats for these animals, offering them a safe and nurturing environment. The Ambani family unveiled the 1,214-hectare zoo and animal rescue sanctuary on February 26.
Officially named Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Kingdom, it’s being managed by the Reliance Foundation’s non-profit trust. Located in the world’s largest petroleum refinery complex, the zoo houses over 200 elephants, 300+ large cats like tigers, leopards, lions, and jaguars, 3,000 herbivores, and more than 1,200 reptiles including crocodiles, snakes, and turtles.
The zoo, based in Gujarat, is the brainchild of 28-year-old Anant Ambani, whose father, Mukesh Ambani, has a personal wealth of around $114 billion.
The Animal Shelter
Anant Ambani’s private zoo in Jamnagar also hosted his pre-wedding celebrations, but this is where it gets tricky, it’s been attracting attention for how it sources its animals. (we will get to this quickly).
Anant refers to the zoo as an “animal shelter,” housing 43 species that have been “rescued from around India and the world.” Its reach extends globally, with collaborations in places like Mexico and Venezuela.
The center also features a cutting-edge Elephant Rescue Centre, focusing on the conservation of elephants at risk due to poaching for their tusks. The Elephant Hospital here is fully equipped with advanced medical technology, including portable X-rays, laser machines, a pathology lab, and a hyperbaric oxygen chamber.
The center employs a dedicated team of 500 staff members—veterinarians, nutritionists, and pathologists—who provide care for over 200 elephants. They even offer specialized treatments like hydrotherapy pools, an elephant jacuzzi, and multani-mitti massages to ensure the elephants’ health and comfort.
Now Here’s Where It Gets Complicated –
The zoo, which also hosted Anant Ambani’s extravagant pre-wedding bash from March 1 to 3, was at the center of a growing debate.
A board member of Jio, Reliance’s telecom arm, was quoted in a video interview with India Today, assuring that no wildlife would be “exposed for entertainment” and that safaris would be “solely for educational purposes.”
Yet, a photo of Ivanka Trump, daughter of former US President Donald Trump, standing with a decorated Asian elephant in the background, reignited concerns about the zoo’s use of animals for personal entertainment.
Ivanka was among the 1,000+ celebrity guests, including Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Bollywood’s Shah Rukh Khan, and pop icon Rihanna, who gathered in Jamnagar for the wedding festivities.
The event even featured a jungle-themed evening. When Indian actress Maria Goretti shared Ivanka Trump’s photo on Instagram, she expressed her shock, saying:
“I’m appalled at this picture of the Ambani celebration. I don’t think this should happen to any animal, especially not to animals that are being rescued and rehabilitated. Heartbreaking, just heartbreaking that this elephant was made to stand like a prop, in the middle of noise and people.”
On February 12, the Delhi High Court dismissed a petition by lawyer Rahul Narula, which sought a ban on “displaying or exhibiting the animals” at the zoo. The court ruled that no law prohibits inviting guests to view non-commercial facilities for animals.
However, the zoo is facing still more serious allegations.
Wildlife authorities in India are under scrutiny, with questions raised about their involvement. The zoo’s master plan also includes enclosures for a range of species, such as Asian elephants, African lions, Bengal tigers, and crocodiles.
The zoo’s official statement and many media outlets describe it as the “world’s largest,” but in reality, its 101-hectare area is smaller than several other animal shelters in India. For example, Chennai’s state-run Aringnar Anna Zoological Park covers 603 hectares.
What truly sets the Jamnagar zoo apart, though, is its approach to sourcing animals.
One of the most unusual acquisitions might be the hippos descended from those once owned by notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar in Colombia.
Indian environment officials have confirmed that the zoo has applied for permits to import these hippos, with the Colombian government stating that 60 hippos from Escobar’s private zoo are on their way to India. Known as “cocaine hippos,” these animals have been causing a stir in Colombia due to their rapid reproduction since escaping Escobar’s estate over 30 years ago.
The Jamnagar zoo has also reportedly secured permits from India’s zoo authorities to import 286 animals from a zoo in San Pedro Garza Garcia, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. This includes 17 species, many of which are endangered.
With such high-profile and controversial moves, the question is– Is this zoo truly a sanctuary, or is it simply another display of wealth and influence?
The Controversial Animal Transfers – What’s Really Going On?
In February 2021, the Jamnagar zoo took a pair of black panthers from Assam State Zoo, in exchange for sourcing four zebras from Israel for the government zoo.
The move sparked protests from the Chiriakhana Suraksha Mancha, an organization formed to protect the Assam zoo, which is the only breeding center for black panthers in the country.
Fast forward to September 2022, when residents of Gadchiroli district in Maharashtra, supported by a local parliamentarian, opposed the transfer of 13 elephants by forest officials to the Jamnagar zoo. The villagers argued that these elephants were an essential tourist attraction, providing both direct and indirect employment.
It raises the question – should animals be moved for conservation, or do local communities have a say in how wildlife is managed, especially when livelihoods are at stake?
The situation took a darker turn in June 2022, when the Odisha Forest Department reported eight attempts to allegedly smuggle captive elephants from Assam to Jamnagar using forged certificates.
This situation brings to light serious concerns about the ethics of animal transfers, and whether some transfers might not be as “legal” as they’re made out to be.
Indian law prohibits the private sale of Asian elephants, but they can be “leased” or gifted, which has led to elephants being used by temple trusts for blessings and tourism companies for rides.
Is this legal loophole opening doors for the exploitation of these revered animals?
In 2021, the Indian government proposed amendments to the Wildlife Protection Act, which would have paved the way for legalizing the commercial trade of live elephants. After facing backlash from conservationists, who feared it would encourage the trade of wild elephants, the proposal was scrapped.
But could this change in legislation have been a strategic move to benefit Anant Ambani, whose family has close ties to Prime Minister Narendra Modi?
Despite these concerns, Anant Ambani insists his zoo is “a beacon of hope” for animals, a place where they can thrive. To prove his commitment, he’s planning to build a 25,000 sq ft elephant hospital at the zoo.
Anant’s vision doesn’t stop at Jamnagar. He aims to partner with India’s zoo authorities to improve all of the country’s 150+ zoos, focusing on training, capacity building, and animal care infrastructure.
Truly A ‘Secret’?
But with the ongoing controversies, one has to ask – Is this truly about conservation, or is there more at play behind the scenes?
More importantly, why is Anant Ambani, heir to one of India’s most powerful business empires, hiring international YouTubers to promote his “pashu-premi” (animal lover) image and the private zoo he’s built?
The latest example comes from YouTuber Forrest Galante, who boasts a hefty 1.14 million subscribers. He was given a private tour of the so-called animal shelter, which was then featured in a video titled “Private Tour of an Indian Billionaire’s Secret Wildlife Rescue Centre.”
- Now, if it’s a “secret,” why the need to market it to the world? The contradiction is hard to ignore.
- Could it be that the zoo’s PR strategy isn’t just about promoting animal conservation but also about creating a global spectacle, one that ties the Ambani name to the growing concerns over wildlife extinction?
After all, the Ambanis are no strangers to using their immense wealth and influence to shape their public image. But why this sudden push for international attention?
Here’s where things start to get a bit tricky. Perhaps the Ambani zoo isn’t just about rescue and rehabilitation—it’s about branding.
The fact that Anant Ambani is making such a significant investment in his private zoo, combined with the highly controlled media narrative(s), makes it hard to dismiss questions – Is it really about saving animals, or is there something more at play?
A Future of Consolidating Animal DNA?
Let’s look deeper into a theory that may sound outlandish but is worth considering.
What if the Ambanis are not just creating a zoo but a genetic reserve, a place where they can consolidate the DNA of endangered species for a future in which wild animals are either extinct or too rare to repopulate natural habitats?
Think about it- we’re witnessing the steady decline of wildlife in the wild. Climate change, poaching, habitat loss, and human encroachment are pushing many species to the brink of extinction.
Could the Ambanis, with their vast resources, be positioning themselves to hold the genetic keys to preserving species for future generations—whether in captivity or perhaps through advanced biotechnologies.
The recent controversy surrounding the import of hippos from Pablo Escobar’s private zoo in Colombia adds fuel to this fire. Could the Jamnagar zoo’s growing collection of animals, especially those from rare or endangered species, be part of a larger plan to collect and store animal DNA in a controlled environment?
After all, the zoo has access to animals from across the globe—Mexico, Colombia, and other places—and with the right technology, they could be creating a biological vault of sorts. In a future where the wild is increasingly empty, these genetic samples could serve as the foundation for repopulating the earth with creatures that are otherwise fading away.
The Ambani Family’s Global Reach
Let’s not forget the Ambani family’s connections.
Mukesh Ambani’s ties to India’s political powerhouses, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, are well-known. Could these relationships play a role in influencing wildlife policies and laws, making it easier for the Ambanis to import exotic animals, establish private sanctuaries, and even negotiate international agreements for the collection of endangered species?
With their influence, they might have access to resources and loopholes that the average conservationist could only dream of.
Moreover, consider the possibility that this private zoo, with its luxurious appeal and high-profile celebrity visits, is part of a broader scheme to elevate the Ambani brand on the global stage.
The question isn’t just whether the zoo is a front for PR—it’s whether it’s also a way to control the narrative surrounding wildlife conservation. The international media attention and celebrity endorsements make it seem like the Ambanis are at the forefront of animal preservation. But are they truly saving animals, or is this all part of a more calculated business strategy that involves both media manipulation and the potential genetic consolidation of species?
Could This Be the Start of a Larger Bio-Economic Plan?
There’s a growing trend in the biotech industry where companies are exploring genetic technologies to bring back extinct species, or “de-extinct” animals, through DNA stored in labs.
What if the Ambanis are positioning themselves as early pioneers in this space?
The DNA of the animals housed in their private zoo could, in theory, be used for such experiments. If they’re building the world’s largest animal shelter, could they also be laying the groundwork for a much more ambitious project—becoming the gatekeepers of biodiversity in a future where wildlife may only exist in labs or controlled environments?
The Ambani family’s push for a PR blitz around this zoo could be a way to normalize the idea of such a bio-reserve and perhaps even gain public acceptance of a future where the lines between conservation and genetic manipulation blur. After all, who would argue against the “rescue” of endangered species, especially when the alternative might be their extinction?
The Last Bit
We have to ask – Is this really about wildlife conservation, or is it part of a much larger plan to consolidate wealth, influence, and control over the future of global biodiversity?
Therefore, by positioning themselves as animal saviors, the Ambanis are not only improving their image but also gaining control over resources that could have immense value in the future—genetic material, animal populations, and even public perception.
So, while the zoo may seem like a charitable effort on the surface, the deeper implications could have far-reaching consequences for both the animal kingdom and the global economy.
What if, in the end, its not just about saving animals, but ensuring the means to profit from a world where wild creatures are no longer free, but exist solely within the confines of human control? Think about it.