British government ministers were advised against engaging formally with Vantara, a controversial private mega-zoo in India operated by billionaire heir Anant Ambani, following lobbying efforts by the facility. The advice emerged ahead of a UK-chaired meeting of Cites, the United Nations body regulating the trade in endangered species, according to government documents obtained by the Guardian and Mongabay under the Freedom of Information Act.
Lobbying Efforts and Official Meetings
In May, officials from the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) met with a Vantara representative and the US lobbying firm Checkmate Government Relations. Ahead of the gathering, briefing documents stated that Checkmate aimed to encourage a more sympathetic UK view on India’s handling of imports to Vantara and to argue that import verification responsibility lies with exporting nations rather than India.
During the discussion, the Vantara representative invited British officials to tour the facility, an offer that was ultimately declined to maintain the impartiality of the UK’s role as Cites chair. Following this, a second lobbying firm, Atlas Strategy, representing Vantara, approached then environment secretary Emma Reynolds and then nature minister Mary Creagh to pitch a visit to the zoo.
When a department official sought guidance, a note was issued advising ministers to refrain from formal engagement with Vantara. Government files also highlighted concerns over a Vantara application to import falcons and falcon hybrids from the UK, after an unnamed organisation provided a £50,000 donation to an undisclosed British breeder. British Cites officials categorized the transaction as commercial, and the birds were ultimately not exported to India.
Zoo Operations and Compliance Concerns
Vantara spans 1,400 hectares near the oil-refining facilities of Ambani’s family in Gujarat and has taken in more than 150,000 animals since 2022. While the facility emphasizes high welfare standards—including an elephant hydrotherapy pool and Ayurvedic massage facilities—conservation groups have questioned the rapid accumulation of endangered species. India’s supreme court cleared the operators of wrongdoing last year.
A subsequent Cites fact-finding mission raised compliance concerns regarding India’s animal imports in 2025, initially recommending temporary restrictions that were later withdrawn. A November 2025 report warned that large-scale imports by such facilities risk creating a demand for illegally sourced animals.
A Vantara spokesperson stated that the zoo had not imported falcons from the UK and had not hired or paid any lobbying firm. Both Checkmate and Atlas Strategy reportedly worked for Vantara pro bono and were not required to register with the Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists.
Vantara has recently attempted to reset its operations by voluntarily suspending animal imports for one year and appointing former Cites chief John Scanlon to oversee activities. Ambani, 31, defended the facility in an interview with the Sunday Times, stating that animals such as South African hippos and Qatari penguins were brought in legally to secure their welfare, adding that caring for animals has been his lifelong passion.
