Bengaluru: Vantara, the Ambanis’ Jamnagar-based zoo and rescue centre which has faced controversial allegations, including buying and illegally sourcing wild animals and thus possibly fostering illegal wildlife trade, is back in the news: this time, for accolades and partnerships.On December 8, the Global Humane Society, an international animal welfare NGO, conferred a ‘Global Humanitarian Award for Animal Welfare’ on Anant Ambani, the founder of Vantara.On the same day Vantara signed an MoU with the Telangana state government to establish a “world-class” wildlife conservatory and night safari in the state.‘Global Humanitarian Award’ On December 8, the Global Humane Society (the international brand of the American Humane Society, which calls itself the oldest humane organisation in the United States and the largest certifier of animal welfare) announced that it was conferring a ‘Global Humanitarian Award for Animal Welfare’ on Anant Ambani, the founder of Vantara. Ambani is the youngest recipient of the award and the first Asian to win the award, according to the Society. The award “acknowledges Mr. Ambani’s leadership in evidence-based welfare programs, science-led conservation initiatives and sustained efforts to protect vulnerable species worldwide”, the Society said in its press release. “It [the award] is a reminder of why Vantara exists, what Vantara does and what Vantara will do for the future,” said Ambani, after accepting the award at the ceremony held at Washington D.C. He went on to say that even as a child, he always “dreamt” that they would do “something in India that will guide the world” on how to treat animals, as per a social media clip.“In our religion we see god in our animals. I would like my great-grandchildren to see all species today existing in the world back in the jungles,” he said. Incidentally, several investigative news reports have alleged that wild animals have been sourced from their habitats including the very jungles that Ambani alluded to — to meet Vantara’s demand for ‘rescued’ wildlife. For instance, nine chimpanzees that arrived at Vantara, or the Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Park, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo this year were not captive-bred but caught from the wild, said a news report in Africa Geographic, an African safari website that also reports on news about wildlife from the continent, in April this year. An international NGO that works to combat illegal wildlife trade had also highlighted “multiple red flags” in a consignment of endangered primates including one of nine chimpanzees from the Congo to a “private facility” in India — though it did not mention which facility this was, as The Wire had reported.Allegations, and more questions However, in response to a similar allegation in a report by a German daily in March this year that its ‘rescue’ efforts were possibly fuelling illegal wildlife trade, Vantara had told The Wire that the allegations were “entirely baseless” and “misleading”.A Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) also cleared Vantara of all allegations and wrong-doing on September 15 this year. It said that everything — including the permits under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which numerous experts including researchers and NGOs working on illegal wildlife trade had flagged — was in order, and that all acquisitions of animals had been “carried out in regulatory compliance”.However, questions have been raised about how the apex court of India hurriedly put together the SIT, which submitted its report in less than a month. The SIT submitted it in a sealed envelope, and the Court also agreed to not make the SIT’s full report public.The union environment ministry then used this ‘clean chit’ to tell the CITES that its recommendation — that India not import endangered wildlife until it conducts ‘due diligence’ while issuing permits and implements several recommendations to this effect (after the CITES inspected Vantara in mid-September and submitted a report on this) — was “premature”, among other things. India had argued in its letter to CITES in November that it had ‘stringent’ and ‘effective’ mechanism in place to ensure that it adheres to provisions under the CITES, and that the country’s apex court had ‘clearly validated’ this (through the ‘clean chit’ it gave to Vantara in September).The detailed CITES report had identified issues including India issuing permits for import of wildlife to Vantara based on fake permits (in the case of eight chimpanzees from Cameroon), as The Wire had reported.So it’s no surprise then that Ambani receiving the award has also been met with doubt, shock, resignation and sarcasm from several quarters. World’s largest wildlife certifier of animal welfare award for wildlife trafficking to Vantara 😏 https://t.co/sX3f88TLly— Deepika Sinha 🐅🐘🌲 (@Deepikasana) December 10, 2025Some commented on how money could buy anything:@AmericanHumaneHow much does the award cost? Let me know, would like to buy and award myself if I can afford it.Cheers.#Vantara #anantambanipic.twitter.com/75GZloakaQ— Shrooms Biryani (@whyarewehe43567) December 10, 2025Wildlife conservatory and night safari in TelanganaVantara is now partnering with the Telangana state government to establish a “world-class” wildlife conservatory and night safari in the state. On December 8, it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Telangana government at the Rising Global Summit at Bharat Future City, which aimed to attract investments into the state.According to a government press release, the Vantara-Telangana initiative is “designed as a flagship conservation and experiential tourism project”, and “aims to elevate India’s wildlife rehabilitation ecosystem while offering globally benchmarked visitor experiences”.“The proposed conservatory will integrate scientific wildlife care, research, habitat restoration and public education through immersive exhibits and guided night-safari experiences,” it said.The Vantara team allegedly presented a “conceptual masterplan, sustainability ethos and proposed ecological impact assessment framework” at the meeting. Revanth Reddy, chief minister of the Congress-ruled state, “welcomed the partnership”, the press release said, adding that Telangana intended to create “tourism assets that prioritise conservation over commercialisation”. He also said that Vantara’s initiative “aligns with the State’s broader vision of developing ecologically sensitive, internationally attractive tourism infrastructure that creates local jobs while safeguarding biodiversity”.“The forthcoming wildlife conservatory is expected to boost tourism, enhance conservation awareness and position Telangana as a pioneer in responsible, nature-led development,” the press release claimed. A team from Vantara had allegedly visited Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad in late November. The Indian Express reported that politicians in opposition parties in the state had called out the Congress for its “double standards” because Jairam Ramesh, Congress General Secretary In-charge Communications, had raised objections that the Delhi Zoo had planned an agreement with Vantara and the Gujarat government.“Such an agreement entered into in such a hush-hush manner raises many questions that need to be clarified in a transparent manner. Zoos, national parks, tiger and other reserves, and sanctuaries are all public services and must never be privatised in any form,” Ramesh had said in a social media post in June this year.“When it comes to big investments in BJP-ruled states, the Congress finds a fault. But when it is investments in Congress-ruled states, they are only happy to get them,” the IE report quoted a BJP party leader as saying. A Telangana Congress leader however said there was no contradiction between the stand taken by Ramesh on Vantara and the state government’s deal, IE reported.