Vantara Tells Supreme Court It Has Imposed a 12-Month Moratorium on Animal Imports
Vantara, the Jamnagar-based animal rescue and rehabilitation facility run by the Reliance Group, has informed the Supreme Court that it has imposed a voluntary 12-month moratorium on filing new applications for animal imports.
According to the application placed before the Supreme Court, the internal moratorium took effect from June 5, 2026, the date on which Vantara said its last physical import of animals took place.
Key Details
- The moratorium began on June 5, 2026.
- Vantara said it has not filed new import requests since February 2026.
- The facility stated that it has no outstanding import applications.
- The internal moratorium is intended to remain in force for 12 months.
Application Filed Before Supreme Court on August 19
Vantara stated that it filed an application before the Supreme Court on August 19 and placed on record a comprehensive representation made to the CITES Management Authority of India.
The facility further said that the moratorium period would be used to strengthen governance structures and due diligence procedures and to bring those systems to operational standards.
Vantara also said it intends to conduct stakeholder outreach and pursue international accreditation and benchmarking during this period.
Vantara Places Additional Self-Imposed Restrictions on Animal Imports
In its new application, Vantara also informed the Supreme Court about additional restrictions it has decided to impose on itself in relation to animal imports.
Self-Imposed Import Restrictions
- Vantara said it will not import animals brought under a CITES re-export certificate, except in extraordinary circumstances where the animal has remained in captivity for at least seven years from the date of original import.
- It stated that it will not import wild-caught specimens from their country-of-origin range States, even if they are described as captive bred.
- The facility said it will instead focus resources on rehabilitation, re-homing and financing lifelong care for animals in need within their country of origin.
Earlier Plea Seeking Fresh Probe Was Rejected
The application was filed after the Supreme Court had rejected a plea on May 27 seeking reopening of a probe into international transfers of animals to facilities located in Jamnagar.
The plea had been filed by Karnartham Viramah Foundation, which sought investigation by agencies including the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate into wildlife exchanges involving Vantara and the Khodiyar Animal Welfare Trust.
Previous Transfers Had Been Examined by SIT
According to the material placed before the Court, transfers that had taken place before September 2025 had already been examined by a Special Investigation Team.
The SIT report was submitted in September 2025 and was later approved by the Supreme Court again in March 2026.
Moratorium Linked to Governance and Due Diligence Review
Vantara stated that the 12-month period would not merely operate as a pause on new import applications. It said the period would also be used to strengthen internal governance, due diligence and compliance systems.
The facility further indicated that international accreditation, benchmarking and engagement with stakeholders would form part of this process.
