Birth of Vantara: Anant Ambani on his special bond with animals

Anant Ambani

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Vantara, the world's largest animal rescue, rehabilitation and conservation centre in Gujarat's Jamnagar, on March 2. The brainchild of Anant Ambani, Vantara is home to more than 2,000 species and over 1.5 lakh rescued, endangered, and threatened animals.

Throwing light on the birth of Vantara, Anant said that the idea gestated in his subconscious all through his childhood and growing up years. Some of the most profound conversations in his life, Anant wrote in the foreword, have not been with people.

"They have not even involved words. Somewhere in the silence that lingered between me and them, I learnt to decode their subtle cues and they spoke to me with eyes that reflected huge reservoirs of wisdom. It is in those prolonged pregnant pauses, that my truth was revealed," he wrote.

Anant felt a deep connection with the animal world since his childhood. "The animal world and I are kindred spirits. And of this I was sure, since my childhood. As I grew I realised the brute reality that progress of human civilisation came at their expense," he mentioned.

However, what he found more distressing was the fact that even with the advent of technology, the great milestones humankind achieved, the impossible frontiers they conquered, not once did they pause to reflect if their counterparts with whom they shared their planet, became true shareholders of the profits they made. "The story ended very differently for the wildlife. While the concrete jungles flourished, their homes disappeared into oblivion. And the beasts that once ruled this world, were left at the mercy of the human race," added Anant.

For him, the wellbeing of the wild became a non-negotiable in a world where everything has turned into a marketplace. "No one deserves to put a price on something that is priceless to begin with," he wrote.

Anant believed taking baby steps was not the solution in order to write a new chapter in their lives and the need of the hour was to take a giant leap. "How can we begin the mammoth task of rescuing and rehabilitating animals that have been struggling to escape the clutches of exploitation, absolve themselves from abuse, safeguard them from extinction and in cases of man-animal conflict, not let the latter always be at the receiving end? This cannot start with baby steps. This requires a giant leap. A leap of faith and fortitude," he said.

That is what led to the birth of Vantara. Elaborating on the same, Anant said an idea gestated in his subconscious all his childhood and growing up years, only to unfurl in the expansive plains of Jamnagar, Gujarat.

"Vantara is the land where forsaken beasts and endangered species get a new lease on life with impassioned souls swearing their allegiance for a lifetime of care. While conserving biodiversity is a huge part of the efforts, unequivocal service to the true lords of the land is what drives the ecosystem we built," he highlighted.

In the glowing foreword, Anant also offered his gratitude to his grandfather Dhirubhai Ambani and father Mukesh Ambani who have transformed the ecosystem of Jamnagar by increasing the green cover manifold.

"This dream wouldn't have been possible had it not been for the foresight of a visionary like my grandfather Dhirubhai Ambani who transformed the ecosystem of Jamnagar by increasing the green cover manifold. My father Mukesh Ambani took forward the legacy and forged the world's largest refinery with sustainability at its core. Striving towards becoming net carbon zero by 2035, the energy generated here will fuel all conservation efforts of Vantara. It is my father's and grandfather's efforts that bolster my initiative in the conservation of wildlife," he added.

Anant highlighted how the Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre (GZRRC) and Radhe Krishna Temple Elephant Welfare Trust (RKT) are the two pillars that have shouldered the herculean task of not just bringing these animals home but also making them feel at home.

"Since 2020 our facilities have now inhabited 2,000 species. The sheer scale of rescue operations speak volumes about the swift action Vantara has undertaken in bringing rescued and captive wild animals to a home where their wounds both physical and emotional are healed, ensuring a quality of life that one could only dream of," he wrote.

Anand rued how (unfortunately) we live in times when rescue centres in India and around the world now need rescuing themselves. He said Vantara turned in to a paradise in the ntimes of need and welcomed animals to a place where 'scarcity will never be a concern'.

"Lack of resources, medical facilities, technicians, doctors and human resources, space and the aftermath of COVID, have all led to several zoos and rescue centres worldwide crumble. During these testing times, Vantara has enabled decongestion of zoos and rescue centres on a global scale, welcoming animals to a paradise where scarcity will never be a concern. Not just zoos but private owners who struggle to provide quality care have also reached out to Vantara," he added.

From animals who have been subjected to cruelties to those who were blinded in man-animal conflicts, everyone found home in Vantara. "Our international rescue operations have brought battered beasts from across the seas to the promised land. Survivors of illegal trade found hope here. And Asian elephants who have been subjected to a host of cruelties, from logging to begging, those who endured second degree burns and those who were blinded in man-animal conflicts, they all found their forest of freedom right here," he wrote.

Anant mentioned how his interactions with the wild have only made him more human. "And that transformation is something that every other caretaker, doctor, zoologist and mahout at Vantara has experienced. It is a place that expands our empathy and heightens our compassion. In our efforts to share a glimpse of these stories of transformation with you, we only hope that what you read will make you look at the world with a new lens. A lens of compassion," he added.

"Everyone involved with Vantara is aware that this is going to be a long journey, for us and all the captive animals housed here. And while their past might have been traumatic and far from perfect, at Vantara our mission is to provide them with a life that is close to perfect. Though we will always remain indebted to the wild for Sustaining us, maybe by serving them now we begin a new era of empathy. Here's wishing them a great life. Now, and in the next," Anant wrote.