Vantara, the wildlife rescue, rehabilitation and conservation centre located in Jamnagar, Gujarat, on Wednesday submitted a series of voluntary commitments to India's CITES Management Authority, outlining steps to strengthen governance, transparency and regulatory compliance.
The commitments reaffirm Vantara's intention to fully adhere to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the international framework that regulates cross-border trade in wild animals and plants to ensure such trade does not endanger their survival.
The set of commitments has been submitted to the CITES Management Authority of India and also filed before the Supreme Court as part of the organisation's broader compliance framework.
Among the major changes proposed, Vantara said it would place greater emphasis on in-situ conservation, which involves protecting and conserving wildlife in its natural habitat. As part of this shift, the organisation said it would increasingly focus on conservation efforts in India and support wildlife within their natural range states.
“Vantara remains steadfast in its belief that every life matters, a principle that guides both the care it provides to animals at its Jamnagar campus and the expertise, resources and support it is increasingly extending to wildlife conservation in source countries,” the wildlife conservation centre said in a statement.
The move follows a review by Vantara's Governing Council of concerns, criticism, observations and suggestions raised by conservation organisations, experts and other stakeholders over a period of time.
Vantara said its activities would focus more strongly on wildlife rescue, rehabilitation and conservation efforts within India. It also plans to work alongside and support state wildlife agencies in carrying out these initiatives.
On the international front, the organisation said it would continue supporting wildlife conservation through measures such as strengthening rescue centres and veterinary hospitals. It also announced plans to create a dedicated international fund to support local wildlife conservation efforts.
To improve transparency and oversight, Vantara said it would submit progress reports to the CITES Management Authority every six months, invite the authority to conduct inspections and expand its engagement with the wider conservation community.
The organisation also announced significant restrictions on future animal imports. Vantara said it would withdraw all pending applications for animal imports and would not submit any new import applications for the time being. Any future proposal to import animals would be made only after consultation with India's CITES Management Authority.
It further said that animals would only be imported from registered zoos. Vantara pledged that it would not import great apes, big cats or endangered wildlife species under its future commitments.
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