Vantara in Jamnagar was born of Anant Ambani’s vision of creating a world-class facility for injured and endangered animals. Today, this initiative supports more than 200 elephants who are living their best life at the sprawling rescue centre. A glimpse of their day-to-day routine was shared on the official Instagram account of Vantara.
The Radhe Krishna Temple Elephant Welfare Trust (RKTEWT), spread over 600 acres at Reliance’s Jamnagar complex, came to wider public attention after Jamnagar became the venue for Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s pre-wedding festivities earlier this month. "My vision is that at Vantara in Jamnagar, we would like to be the world's most advanced Wildlife Institute," the youngest scion of the Ambani family said.
To that end, elephants at the rescue centre are given every amenity possible – from personalised diet charts to a dedicated Jacuzzi where hot water soothes the elderly and injured jumbos.
The kitchen facility at RKTEWT is staffed with experts who create meals suited to the “unique dietary needs” of every elephant at the facility. As elephants can eat up to 130 kilograms of food a day, this is no mean task.
This is followed by a mid-morning snack of green fodder and Alfalfa. Lunch is “enrichment” in the form of branches and leaves, along with 2 kg fruit and 3 kg vegetables. The elephant ends her day with a dinner of 10 kg dry fodder (sorghum).
The fruits served to elephants at the rescue centre include apples, pomegranate, carrots and more. Bags of popcorn were also shown being prepared for the gentle giants.
Besides food and veterinary care, the elephants at Vantara also receive enrichment through pool time.
“Did you know Vantara has a dedicated jacuzzi for its jumbos? Introducing our hydrotherapy pond with 260 high-pressure jets that emit lukewarm water,” explains the official Instagram account of Vantara. “The hot water soothes the elderly and injured elephants who were once victims of the circus or entertainment industry and suffer from medical conditions.”
Calling pool time the highlight of their day, the Vantara account notes that it is also an opportunity for elephants to play together.
“Only a few people are working for animal welfare. I think I was the chosen one. And I was fortunate enough, that with God's blessings, I could do seva of animals,” Anant Ambani told News18 days before his pre-wedding festivities put Jamnagar on the global map.
“In today's life, you can't see God. But I see God within every animal. So, it's my giving back to society,” he explained.
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