Handing over the reins of Delhi’s prestigious zoo to such a dubious organisation appears to be nothing more than a commercial interest.
अब दिल्ली का चिड़ियाघर भी अंबानी का, वनतारा की तरह होगा विकसित!
In this way, Delhi Zoo was also handed over to Ambani. The biggest deal was signed and the zoo director was not aware of it. This deal was done with Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre, Jamnagar, i.e. Ambani son’s Vantara, which will manage the Delhi Zoo. One of their teams came here and surveyed everything. According to sources in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Prime Minister’s Office, discussions are in the final stages to involve a reputed private group in the management of the zoo. The aim is to bring world-class facilities and infrastructure. The plan includes air-conditioned medical units, modern rehabilitation centers and state-of-the-art cages.
While the ground reality is that according to the MoU (Reference No. GJRRC/2025/SGO/42 ‚ 28 May 2025), the GJRRC team inspected the Delhi Zoo on 31 May and 1 June. After that the further outline will be decided. The team is said to include six people including veterinary doctor, kitchen manager, site manager.
Let us remind you that Vantara is a state-of-the-art wildlife rescue, rehabilitation and conservation center located in Jamnagar, Gujarat, spread over about 3000 acres (3500 acres according to some sources) in the green belt area of Reliance Refinery, in collaboration with Reliance Foundation, built by Anant Ambani. The Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972 is in force in India, which makes strict provisions for hunting, trading, import-export of wild animals and protecting their natural habitat. Under this law, any person or institution is prohibited from catching, keeping, or trading wild animals without government permission. In May 2024, 1,825 live animals were brought to India from Venezuela under a private agreement, which included jaguars, tapirs, crocodiles, monkeys, etc. This deal was allegedly done in the name of ‘conservation’, but there have been allegations of lack of transparency and ignoring government monitoring. In India, permission of Central Zoo Authority (CZA) is required to open a zoo or rescue centre, but in the Vantara process, many rules were found to have been ignored.
Handing over the reins of Delhi’s prestigious zoo to such a dubious institution seems to be nothing more than a commercial interest.
The zoo in Delhi was conceptualised in 1953 after the country’s independence and was inaugurated by Union Minister Punjab Rao Deshmukh on 01 November 1959. Major Wineman of Sri Lanka and Karl Hagenbeck of West Germany played an important role in designing it on the marshy land near Purana Qila in Delhi.
Today it is spread over 176 acres and more than 1200 species of animals are found here. It is shameful and dangerous to hand over such a valuable asset of the country directly to private hands. This is a fatal step from the point of view of environment and biodiversity. Due to the privatisation of the institution, the burden on the service conditions and visitors is sure to increase. In the name of wildlife conservation, private organizations often prioritize tourism, events and branding. This can lead to commercial interests dominating over the welfare of animals, as has been alleged in the context of Vantara. Understand that now Delhi Zoo will also become a hub of VIP events, celebrity visits and special invitations like Vantara. This can limit the access of the general public and the zoo can become like a “private club”, which is the opposite of public service.
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