Guwahati: Thousands of animals, including 441 kangaroos, 217 primates, 138 llamas, and 68 deer, have been transported from the Czech Republic to Vantara, also known as the Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre (GZZRC) in Jamnagar, Gujarat. This massive transfer of animals to the private zoo, owned by Anant Ambani, the youngest son of Reliance Chairman Mukesh Ambani, was reported by iROZHLAS, an online news portal of Czech Radio (?eský rozhlas).
The iROZHLAS (Radiožurnál) report, published on June 20, revealed that a Czech breeder and businessman has become the most active exporter to Vantara from all of Europe within a few months. Vantara’s website claims 150,000 specimens have already passed through its gates, despite the facility not being open to the public. This has fueled suspicion among foreign media outlets, who suggest the facility may be illegally trading in wild animals.
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According to iROZHLAS, Czech authorities, who oversee animal exports, have approved all shipments but harbor unanswered questions about the Indian facility. They are particularly concerned about the large number of species traveling from the Czech Republic to Asia and their subsequent welfare.
Czech Republic: A Breeding Powerhouse Under Scrutiny
Historically, the Czech Republic has been a significant breeding nation, with tens of thousands of animals, including falcons, parrots, and chameleons, exported globally each year. However, Vantara emerged as a new export destination last year. The German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung previously highlighted the “incredible” number of animals arriving at Vantara, raising questions about whether some originated from the wild and alleging that some traders supplying Vantara might have established fictitious zoos to legalize exports.
This mega project, inaccessible to the public and unprecedented in scope, has been acquiring animals from around the world. The Czech Republic quickly joined the list of cooperating countries, with operations reportedly channeled through Jind?ich Blahož, a breeder and businessman from South Bohemia. Blahož, who previously supplied Czech zoos with feed, has significantly expanded his business, facilitating the flow of thousands of animals to India via Ruzyn? airport.
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While these exports are legally processed, Czech authorities express uncertainties regarding the animals’ ultimate fate. “The question of whether the animals actually end up in that Indian facility and how they are treated is relevant given the huge numbers of specimens exported,” iROZHLAS quoted Miriam Loužecká, a spokeswoman for the Czech Environmental Inspectorate, as saying.
The exports include not only less protected species like monitor lizards, pythons, and turkeys but also critically endangered animals. Over two dozen ray-finned tortoises, 13 iguanas, 22 blue geckos, and various primates, including a dozen pinscher tamarins, 10 ruffed lemurs, 21 golden-headed lion cubs, and 20 pygmy marmosets, have been transported to India.
According to statistics from the Ministry of the Environment, obtained by Radiožurnál, over 850 internationally protected animals, listed under the CITES convention, have been exported to Vantara. The regional veterinary administration, which maintains complete data on all exported specimens, reported that over 440 kangaroos, almost six thousand reptiles, 68 deer, and 28 bison have gone to the Indian collection. In total, one breeder has exported more than 6,700 animals, with more exports planned. For comparison, Prague Zoo houses roughly the same number of animals but of different species.
Unprecedented Scale and Unanswered Questions
Jind?ich Blahož is the most active exporter to Vantara in the entire European Union, as per the EU database Traces NT for 2023-2025. The Czech Republic leads with thousands of animals, followed by Denmark (51 parrots) and Belgium (22 parrots and other birds).
Blahož, who owns a zoo corner in Mikulov and keeps monkeys at his South Bohemian village, sources animals globally from countries like Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Italy, and Peru (from where he acquired 21 sloths and two anteaters). He explained his sourcing process to iROZHLAS: “I ask more or less through people I know. All breeders work together and know each other, so we can find out who breeds which species. The Czechs are a breeding powerhouse, what is bred here is not bred anywhere else in the world.”
Blahož maintains that he fulfills all Czech requirements, proving animal origin, ensuring they are not wild-caught, obtaining necessary permits, and shipping them via cargo plane to India. He receives direct inquiries for specific animals from Vantara. According to Blahož, the Indian owner “wants to have basically all the species of animals that exist.”
However, this ambitious goal raises doubts among Czech authorities and animal export experts. They question why, in addition to rare animals, common species (even those with unusual skin color) or farm animals are being transported halfway around the world, especially to a “rescue center” in India.
Vantara: A Private, Massive, and Controversial Project
Vantara is located next to the world’s largest refinery complex and is not accessible to the public—a condition typically required for zoos in the Czech Republic and by the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA). WAZA, which Vantara has not joined, emphasizes education and public presentation of species.
Blahož stated that Vantara has no plans for public access. “The zoo is open to the public, but only to experts in the given industry. He does not let ordinary people in there who throw food at the animals, as is happening here.”
The project reportedly began in 2013 with an elephant rescue initiative, influenced by Ambani’s mother. The Radhe Krishna Temple Elephant Welfare Trust (RKTEWT) rescue center was established, offering extensive facilities for elephants. The center later expanded to include rescued leopards (reportedly up to 256) and even crocodiles imported from African farms, where they are commercially bred for their skin. A promotional video claims these crocodiles receive “weight loss treatment” at Vantara to restore them to standard weight.
Vantara’s annual report states its mission: “The GZRRC strives to save species by combining our expertise in animal care and conservation science with our commitment to inspiring conservation through best practices and educating people.”
While the report initially mentioned over ten thousand animals, this information is now outdated. Joint investigations by journalists from Süddeutsche Zeitung and Armando Info revealed huge shipments of animals, particularly in the second half of 2024, with 39,000 animals from over thirty countries arriving at Vantara. The facility’s website now lists the number as 150,000, making Vantara the largest breeding project in history, reportedly cared for by over 200 veterinarians and 2,000 breeders.
Experts and global organizations warn that such a massive demand for live animals could disrupt the global market, fostering poaching and smuggling if wild populations are depleted. German journalists concluded that many of Vantara’s traders are based in countries considered hotbeds of illegal wild animal trade, though Vantara’s management has repeatedly denied these accusations.
Question marks also surround transfer of a mountain gorilla to Vantara from UAE
Süddeutsche Zeitung highlighted that only about 1,000 individuals of this species exist in the wild and none officially live in captivity, suggesting it makes no sense to send one to a rescue center in India rather than returning it to its natural African habitat.
In March, the South African Wildlife Forum urged the government to investigate animal exports to Vantara, fearing that imported species might become subjects of trade. Vantara has denied all suspicions, asserting its actions are legal.
Vantara is not yet a member of WAZA, and the association confirmed to Radiožurnál that Vantara has not even applied for membership. However, it recently joined the Eurasian association, headquartered in Moscow, which includes zoos from Russia, Kazakhstan, and China.
Authorities’ Unanswered Questions Persist
Several Czech state institutions oversee animal exports, conceptually dividing them into CITES-protected and common species. For protected species, breeders must prove origin, and authorities assess the export’s purpose and potential impact on species conservation. All animals have been exported with the “Z” designation, for “zoological purposes.” However, Vantara is not a regular zoo, and it’s unclear why Central European species need “rescue” in an Indian center. The Nature and Landscape Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic and the Ministry of the Environment are seeking answers.
“We are of course dealing with the situation regarding the circumstances of further breeding and its overall concept and other issues related to this, and we are carefully examining these circumstances,” said Veronika Krej?í, spokeswoman for the Ministry of the Environment. The Ministry is trying to obtain binding answers from its Indian CITES counterpart, but even with doubts, they must accept India’s stance as a basis for export decisions if all details are in order. Krej?í added that they currently have no information indicating illegal activities.
Inspectors from the Czech Environmental Inspectorate, while not commenting on permits, check all export crates at Prague airport. They also express skepticism about the idea of returning these animals to the wild. “Given the genetic dispositions, which are mainly determined by the fact that the animals have been raised for many generations under human care, this is completely unrealistic for most species, and is also risky for the wild populations of the species in question,” said spokeswoman Miriam Loužecká, citing concerns about non-native diseases and genetic defects.
Czech officials are most surprised by the unprecedented number of animals exported to a single facility and remain unaware of the animals’ living conditions. “The numbers of individuals and animal species entering the facility are striking and it is necessary to remain vigilant against any activities that may be linked to the facility,” Loužecká explained, highlighting that Vantara often houses rare species that are difficult to breed even in experienced European zoos.
Vantara was discussed at a February CITES Standing Committee meeting, which obligated its secretariat to maintain communication with the center and cooperate more closely on imported animals. A secretariat mission to Vantara is planned for later this year to verify information.
An email sent from Northeast Now to Vantara regarding the iROZHLAS report remained unanswered. The story will be updated when a response is received.