World’s largest animal center vows reset after scrutiny

Vantara, a vast animal rescue center in Gujarat backed by Reliance heir Anant Ambani, says it has halted animal imports and is redirecting resources toward supporting wildlife in its native habitats after years of criticism over how it assembled its collection. The center says it houses more than 150,000 animals from over 2,000 species, though its annual reports show substantially lower totals. CITES has questioned whether some animals classified as captive-bred were genuinely bred in captivity and urged safeguards against encouraging the capture of wild animals; critics have also raised concerns about transfers of rare and endangered species. A Supreme Court-ordered investigation cleared the center, which now says it will answer criticism through greater transparency and expert oversight.