UK Ministers Advised Against Engaging With Ambani's Vantara Zoo

British government ministers were advised against formal engagement with Vantara, a private mega-zoo in India operated by billionaire Anant Ambani, after the facility launched a lobbying campaign to influence UK officials. The guidance comes as the United Kingdom prepares to chair a 32-country committee meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites) in Geneva.

Documents show Vantara employed lobbying firms Checkmate Government Relations and Atlas Strategy to persuade the UK to take a more sympathetic view of India's animal import compliance. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora previously expressed concern that Vantara's rapid accumulation of more than 150,000 animals could inadvertently drive demand for illegally sourced species.

In response to the scrutiny, Vantara has voluntarily suspended animal imports for one year and appointed former Cites chief John Scanlon to oversee its operations. To maintain impartiality during its Cites chair role, the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs declined invitations for officials to visit the Gujarat-based facility.