Vantara submits voluntary CITES commitments, steps up focus on in-situ conservation

Anant Ambani seen with one of the elephants at Vantara. pic/Wikipedia

Vantara has on Wednesday submitted a set of voluntary commitments to the CITES Management Authority of India, strengthening its governance, transparency and due diligence in wildlife conservation.

The commitments - sent to the Indian CITES Management Authority and filed with the Indian Supreme Court for overall compliance - will ensure full confidence in Vantara's adherence to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and mark a decisive shift in focus from ex situ conservation toward in situ conservation, supporting wildlife within their range states - with a greater focus on India as part of this shift.

Critiques and suggestions

Vantara's Governing Council being announced on Wednesday has closely reviewed the critiques, observations and constructive suggestions raised by organisations, experts, journalists and other stakeholders over time. In response, the Council has endorsed or recommended a series of measures to strengthen Vantara's governance, transparency, due diligence and conservation practices.

Vantara has accepted these recommendations in full and is committed to implementing them as part of a stronger framework guiding its future work. Vantara is choosing to hold itself to standards beyond what the law requires, in order to build trust and confidence.

Measures include:
>> Prioritise rescue, rehabilitation and conservation within India, and expand support for State Forest Departments, rescue centres, conservation breeding and zoo modernisation.
>> Redirect its international efforts toward strengthening rescue centres, veterinary hospitals and conservation programmes in range states, rather than relocating animals.
>> Create a dedicated international fund to support wildlife conservation in countries of origin.

Transparency and accountability:
>> Publish internal procedures and submit six-monthly progress reports to the CITES
>> Invite CITES inspections, maintain an open-door policy.
>> Publicly acknowledge and implement constructive external recommendations.
>> Deepen engagement with the conservation community and media and respond to criticism through dialogue, transparency and evidence - not litigation.

Verification and governance:
>> Fully document and verify the complete provenance and acquisition history of every specimen.
>> Appoint Mr John E Scanlon AO, former Secretary General of CITES and renowned environmentalist as the inaugural independent Chair the Governing Council.
>> Establish an independent international CITES Due Diligence Committee, comprised of former CITES Secretariat senior officials and leading wildlife experts.
>> Introduce a mandatory three-stage review for any future acquisition.
>> Establish an Advisory Board and a Global Governing Council, as the peak governing body.
>> Pursue internationally recognised accreditation and benchmarking with leading zoological and conservation organisations.

Import restrictions:
>> Withdraw all pending applications to import live animals. >> Make no new import applications until India's new CITES Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is in force >> Consult the CITES Management Authority before any future import application. >> Permanent commitment not to import on the basis of a CITES re-export certificate.

Also, for a period of 12 months (starting June 5, 2026), while Vantara builds the governance, the expertise and procedures described, it will make no application to import any live animal even if the SOP were to be finalised sooner or even if this authority's approval were to come sooner. The perod is a minimum and not a term. Vantara could extend it upon advice and a decision to continue the moratorium, if recommended, will be implemented.

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