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Anant Ambani’s Vantara to welcome 20 rescue elephants: ‘They will live chain-free’
Twenty elephants, rescued from the exploitation of the logging industry, will find a new home at Anant Ambani’s Vantara.
Twenty elephants, rescued from the exploitation of the logging industry, will find a new home at Anant Ambani’s Vantara. In a press release yesterday, Reliance Industries said the elephants will be transported from their current home in Arunachal Pradesh to the rescue centre in Jamnagar in specially-designed elephant ambulances.
The elephant rescue operation was carried out with the approval of the High-Powered Committee constituted by the Tripura High Court and entrusted by the Supreme Court of India, and with full consent of the current owners of the animals.
More on the elephants
The rescued elephants include 10 males, eight females, one sub-adult, and one calf. Vantara, a private rescue centre owned by the Ambani family in Jamnagar, will become their new home.
In its press release, Reliance Industries noted how the elephants had suffered in the exploitative logging industry. One sub-adult, named Laxmi, for example, was born in captivity and struggles to bear weight on her hind legs due to deep, untreated wounds and suffers from a fresh, painful 1-inch diameter hole piercing her right ear pinna. Both the injuries were inflicted during the brutal taming process by humans.
Maya, a 2-year-old elephant calf, was rescued alongside her mother, Rongmoti, who was found with harness-induced lesions on her chest and buttocks from prolonged logging work.
Keeping elephants in captivity and forcing them into labour leads to not only physiological but also psychological distress for the animals. Forced to work long hours, they are often mistreated, malnourished, and suffer from lack of medical care.
Moreover, the captive elephants are often bound in chains, which does not allow them to move freely or even lie down.
“Captive elephants often suffer from severe health issues, including injuries, arthritis, and psychological trauma due to harsh labor, training, and prolonged chaining,” said Dr. Sorang Tadap, Veterinary Officer at Itanagar Biological Park.
On the rescue operation
Vantara had yesterday faced some backlash on social media for transporting elephants to Jamnagar. The organisation clarified that it has secured all required documentation under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, including obtaining a No Objection Certificate from the Gujarat Forest Department and a Transport Permit from the Arunachal Pradesh Forest Department.
The elephants will be - transported in specially designed elephant ambulances, with the calf Maya traveling alongside her mother, it said.
A team of over 200 experts will oversee the operation. This includes veterinarians, paravets, senior caretakers, and ambulance drivers from Vantara.
At Vantara, they will live a chain-free existence, starkly different from the way they were kept in chains earlier. They will also receive necessary medical care at the facility.
Vantara was founded by Anant Ambani, the younger son of Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani and his wife Nita Ambani.
