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Anant Ambani's Vantara and Indonesia announce major wildlife conservation partnership
Indonesian Forestry Minister said the partnership with Vantara would help strengthen the country’s facilities, expertise and resources for wildlife conservation
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Indonesia's Ministry of Forestry announced on Monday a major partnership with Vantara, the wildlife conservation initiative founded by Anant Ambani, to strengthen wildlife health, veterinary care and in-situ conservation across the Southeast Asian country.
The collaboration, announced in Jakarta, has been formed with Indonesian wildlife organisation PT Fauna Land Group. It will focus on strengthening Indonesia's wildlife health infrastructure and field capabilities, with Vantara providing veterinary expertise, technical support, infrastructure assistance and capacity-building programmes.
In a statement, Indonesian Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said, "Wildlife conservation is ultimately our responsibility, and we must ensure that Indonesia has the facilities, expertise and resources to care for our wildlife wherever they need us. Through this partnership, we are strengthening our own wildlife health and conservation infrastructure, with Vantara supporting us with its experience, expertise and resources. All the facilities and programmes under this cooperation will be owned, operated and managed by the Government of Indonesia and our relevant authorities, ensuring that they serve Indonesia's conservation priorities and our wildlife for generations to come."
(Also Read: ‘Wound to forehead, right ear, abdomen’: Flood-rescued elephant airlifted to Vantara)
Key initiatives
According to a press release, among the key initiatives announced are specialised training programmes for elephant caregivers, veterinarians and other officials involved in wildlife management. The partnership will also introduce 10 "Hospitals on Wheels" to provide veterinary care to wild animals in their natural habitats across Indonesia.
Another major project will be the upgrade of the Way Kambas Elephant Hospital into an Elephant Treatment and Care Centre equipped with advanced tools and technologies. The upgraded facility will support 62 Sumatran elephants under human care and nearly 100 wild Sumatran elephants in the surrounding landscape.
Vivaan Karani, CEO, Vantara, said, "We are grateful to the Government of Indonesia and our partners for the trust and opportunity to contribute to Indonesia's wildlife conservation efforts. Indonesia is home to some of the world's most extraordinary biodiversity, and it is a privilege for Vantara to support the country in protecting this natural heritage for future generations. Vantara has developed deep expertise in wildlife health, veterinary care, animal husbandry and conservation, and we are pleased to share that experience with Indonesia. We also look forward to learning from the country's considerable conservation experience. Most importantly, we want this partnership to deliver something practical and lasting for wildlife."
The partnership operates under an existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which provides a framework for collaboration across wildlife health, animal welfare and conservation. Under the MoU, the parties have identified priority areas of cooperation in line with Indonesia's national conservation priorities.
For Vantara, the collaboration marks an expansion of its international conservation efforts following the release of its Five Year Plan. The organisation said that it would extend expertise developed at its Jamnagar facility in Gujarat to support wildlife health, animal care and in-situ conservation initiatives internationally.
The partnership with Indonesia also follows Vantara's recent voluntary commitments to India's CITES management authority to further support conservation in the natural range of wildlife.
