A sprawling animal sanctuary in Gujarat, India, has become home to more than 150,000 endangered animals from 2,000 species across 44 countries, positioning itself as one of the world’s largest conservation and rescue centers. Owned and funded by the Ambani family, India’s wealthiest household, the 4,500-acre facility called Vantara features 22 specialized hospitals providing advanced medical care, often free of cost, to animals rescued from a range of dire circumstances.

The sanctuary’s residents include a variety of creatures—birds, reptiles, big cats, elephants, and many others—saved from private collections, illegal wildlife trade, conflict zones, and abusive captivity such as circuses and logging camps. Among them is Dorcas, a rare "king cheetah" flown in from South Africa in 2024, who is currently recovering from surgery to repair a broken leg. Dorcas may become part of a wider effort led by Vantara and Indian government officials to reintroduce cheetahs to the wild in India, where the species was declared extinct more than eight decades ago.

Veterinary experts and wildlife specialists work around the clock managing rescue requests, which number around 100 a day globally. The facility employs 5,000 staff members, including scientists and biologists, who engage in extensive research on wildlife health, genetics, and breeding with aims to bolster conservation and facilitate reintroduction of animals into their native habitats. Vantara houses the world’s largest animal biobank, storing over one million biological samples that support studies ranging from cancer resistance to anti-venom development.

The sanctuary sprang from a private elephant rescue in 2009 when then-12-year-old Anant Ambani sought to aid Gauri, a chained elephant performing for money. Since then, it has expanded into an expansive research and rehabilitation center, renowned for its high-tech facilities and large-scale reforestation efforts. Despite this, Vantara has attracted scrutiny from conservation groups and critics who argue it operates more as a private zoo or trophy collection rather than a conservation-focused institution. Accusations include bypassing import regulations and concerns about the sanctuary’s proximity to a Reliance petrochemical refinery on the same land, raising questions about possible environmental impact on the animals. Vantara counters these claims, noting its refinery operates with zero carbon emissions and emphasizing a recent strategic shift away from importing animals toward supporting in-situ conservation efforts abroad.

Among the sanctuary’s notable residents are Pancham, a 10-year-old Royal Bengal tiger involved in fatal encounters with villagers but spared due to Indian wildlife protection laws; Dhonmati and Champa, two rescued elderly elephants who have endured decades of abuse; and Gracia, a jaguar born with debilitating genetic defects resulting from inbreeding in captivity. The center provides lifelong medical and rehabilitative care for such animals, many of whom would not survive elsewhere.

Vantara also serves as a key player in responding to wildlife emergencies worldwide. In July, it undertook a complex rescue of Joymoti, an elder elephant swept 40 miles down a river during floods in Assam state. Transported over 1,800 miles by road and air, she was given urgent medical attention at the Gujarat facility.

Currently, Vantara is preparing to begin a decade-long research collaboration with London’s Natural History Museum, a partnership expected to advance global understanding of wildlife conservation. The sanctuary’s leadership stresses that their impact will be measured not by the number of animals hosted but by the support and scientific expertise extended to animals in their native environments.

Though it remains closed to public visitation, the center hosts educational programs for local Indian schoolchildren. Its founder, Anant Ambani, has expressed openness to assisting controversial cases such as the descendants of Pablo Escobar’s so-called ‘cocaine hippos’ living in Colombia, signaling a continued willingness to engage in complex global wildlife challenges.