By Salma El-Sakka
British government ministers have been advised not to engage formally with Vantara, a controversial mega-zoo in Gujarat, India, following lobbying efforts by the private sanctuary ahead of a UK-chaired CITES meeting on endangered species trade.
Lobbying ahead of CITES meeting
The UK is currently chairing a 32-country CITES committee meeting in Geneva to examine India's compliance with international rules on imports of endangered animals. Documents obtained by the Guardian and Mongabay under the UK's Freedom of Information Act reveal Vantara's attempts to lobby British officials and ministers before the meeting.
Concerns over animal imports
Vantara, established by Anant Ambani, heir to the oil and gas fortune of Mukesh Ambani, spans 1,400 hectares near the family's oil-refining facilities. Since 2022, it has amassed more than 150,000 animals, many of them endangered. While the zoo touts high welfare standards, including an elephant hydrotherapy pool, conservation groups have questioned the speed of acquisition.
Ministers advised against engagement
In May, UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) officials met a Vantara representative and the US lobbyist firm Checkmate Government Relations, founded by Ches McDowell, a hunting associate of Donald Trump Jr. Internal briefings indicated Checkmate sought to persuade the UK to adopt a more sympathetic view of India's handling of imports to Vantara. During the meeting, Vantara invited UK officials to visit the zoo, an invitation declined to preserve the impartiality of the UK's CITES chair role. Subsequently, another lobbying firm, Atlas Strategy, approached then Secretary of State Emma Reynolds and then Nature Minister Mary Creagh, also suggesting a visit. A departmental note then recommended ministers avoid formal engagement with Vantara.
Falcon import application
Documents also show concerns over a Vantara application to import falcons and falcon hybrids after an unnamed organization made a £50,000 donation to an undisclosed UK breeder. British CITES officials classified the transaction as commercial, and the falcons were not exported to India.
Vantara's response and recent changes
Vantara denied importing falcons from the UK or hiring lobbying firms. It is understood Checkmate and Atlas Strategy worked pro bono and were not required to register as consultant lobbyists. Recently, Vantara has sought to reset its operations by voluntarily suspending animal imports for a year and hiring former CITES chief John Scanlon to oversee operations. Anant Ambani has stated he only brings animals to Vantara legally for welfare reasons, citing rescued hippos from South Africa and jackass penguins from Qatar. The zoo hosted Ambani's lavish pre-wedding celebrations in 2024. In September, Newcastle University awarded him a professorship of practice for conservation work, sparking backlash from conservationists.
A Defra spokesperson said the UK has strict rules to protect endangered species and ensure legal and sustainable wildlife trade, with each application assessed individually against international and domestic requirements.
