Vantara awaits arrival of 3 African elephants from cash-strapped Tunisian zoo

Friguia Park, a cash-strapped private zoo in Tunisia, is sending three African forest elephants — Achtaum, Kani, and Mina — to Vantara, a premier wildlife rescue centre in Jamnagar after they spent 23 years there. The Tunisian zoo reached out to Vantara for a new home for the tuskers where their complex dietary, housing, and veterinary needs could be met.

The elephants, originally from Burkina Faso, have experienced health issues due to inadequate facilities, including untreated skin conditions, dental ailments, and cracked nails from hard flooring. Vantara has prepared expansive, enriched enclosures designed to mimic their natural forest environment, complete with native flora and mud pools to promote their natural behaviours and well-being.

Although the elephants were a central attraction at Friguia Park, financial difficulties prompted the zoo to retire the three African forest elephants to reduce costs. Recognising that, after years in captivity and dependence on human care, reintroducing them to the wild was neither practical nor safe, the zoo sought a sanctuary that could provide them with a peaceful and fulfilling retirement, addressing all their specialised health needs with compassionate care. Vantara ultimately emerged as the ideal rehabilitation choice.

Transported by a chartered aircraft, this carefully managed relocation meets all regulatory and international compliance standards. Vantara’s compassionate team aims to provide these elephants with a dignified, fulfilling life, ensuring the care they need for a comfortable future. The 3,000-acre animal shelter in Gujarat's Jamnagar, founded by Anant Ambani is dedicated to providing care for animals and fostering a compassionate community, its website says.