~Vantara expands elephant welfare, conservation education and global collaboration, supporting rescued elephants, mahouts and human-elephant coexistence.
Jamnagar, Gujarat, Aug 12 (VNI): Vantara, founded by Anant Ambani, marked World Elephant Day by highlighting its expanding efforts in elephant welfare, conservation education and international collaboration aimed at strengthening elephant protection in India and across the world.
Home to more than 260 Asian elephants, Vantara has emerged as a major centre for elephant welfare. Elephants hold a special place in Vantara’s journey, which began with Gauri, the first elephant rescued by Anant Ambani. The initiative has since evolved into a broader commitment to specialised care and a dignified life for rescued animals.
Anant Ambani, Founder, Vantara, said every elephant under their care has a unique story and that each rescue reinforces the responsibility towards their welfare. He said Vantara is committed to improving elephant welfare, supporting caregivers, sharing knowledge with partners and contributing to elephant conservation in India and globally.
On World Elephant Day, Rajasthan Forest, Environment and Climate Change Minister Sanjay Sharma announced a collaboration with Vantara to strengthen the care and quality of life of elephants at Hathi Gaon in Jaipur. The initiative will include a state-of-the-art Elephant Treatment & Care Facility with an advanced hospital, nutrition centre and hydrotherapy facility, besides a dedicated Retirement & Care Centre for elderly elephants.
Vantara has also completed a large-scale Elephant Welfare Outreach Programme with State Forest Departments across eight locations in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The programme supported the health and welfare of 182 elephants and involved 242 mahouts through knowledge-sharing, preventive veterinary care and practical training in elephant health, humane handling, first aid and musth management. Veterinary and welfare kits and nutritional support were also provided.
The organisation has launched My Friend Leelavati, a social media campaign for children aimed at promoting empathy and compassion through the story of Leelavati, an elephant who was separated from her mother as a calf, spent years in a circus and later suffered severe burn injuries. The campaign encourages children to solve a themed puzzle and write a message for Leelavati, with winners getting an opportunity to visit Vantara and learn about elephant rescue and lifelong care.
To strengthen international cooperation on human-elephant conflict, Vantara is providing a grant to the Elephant Protection Initiative Foundation to support participation from Asian and African elephant range states at international conferences on human-elephant conflict and coexistence in Bangkok in March 2027. The initiative will also expand the EPI Youth Ambassadors Programme to India for the first time.
On the ground, Vantara continues to deploy rapid-response veterinary teams, thermal drone surveillance and community engagement programmes to respond to human-elephant conflict, provide veterinary assistance to injured elephants and promote long-term coexistence between people and elephants. VNI NEWS, Vantara Elephant Welfare, Anant Ambani, World Elephant Day 2026, Elephant Conservation India, Hathi Gaon Jaipur, Human Elephant Conflict, Vantara, Elephant Welfare, Elephant Conservation, World Elephant Day, Rajasthan, Hathi Gaon, Wildlife Conservation, VNINews, VNINews.com