Indonesia, Vantara launch major wildlife health and conservation partnership
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Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry on Monday announced an expansion of the country’s wildlife health and in-situ conservation efforts through a partnership with Vantara, a wildlife conservation initiative founded by Anant Ambani, Executive Director of Reliance Industries, in collaboration with Indonesian wildlife organisation PT Fauna Land Group.
Announcing the partnership at a press conference in Jakarta, Indonesian Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said the initiative would strengthen the country’s wildlife health and conservation infrastructure, with Vantara providing expertise, technical support, and resources.
“Wildlife conservation is ultimately our responsibility, and we must ensure that Indonesia has the facilities, expertise and resources to care for our wildlife wherever they need us,” Antoni said.
He added that all facilities and programmes developed under the cooperation would be owned, operated and managed by the Indonesian government and relevant authorities, ensuring that they remain aligned with the country’s conservation priorities.
Vivaan Karani, CEO of Vantara, said Indonesia’s biodiversity made it a key partner for the organisation’s international conservation efforts. “Indonesia is home to some of the world's most extraordinary biodiversity, and it is a privilege for Vantara to support the country in protecting this natural heritage for future generations,” Karani said.
Danny Gunalen, CEO of Fauna Land, said the partnership would bring together the expertise of the Indonesian government, Vantara, and Fauna Land to strengthen wildlife healthcare and build local capacity.
The programme will focus on strengthening wildlife health infrastructure and field capabilities, with Vantara providing specialist veterinary expertise, technical support, infrastructure assistance and capacity-building programmes in support of initiatives led by Indonesian authorities.
Among the key initiatives announced are training programmes for elephant caregivers, veterinarians and other officials involved in wildlife management, as well as the deployment of 10 Hospitals on Wheels to provide healthcare to wild animals across Indonesia in their natural habitats.
The partnership will also support the upgrade of the Way Kambas Elephant Hospital into an Elephant Treatment and Care Centre equipped with advanced medical equipment, tools and technology. The upgraded facility is expected to support 62 Sumatran elephants under human care and nearly 100 wild Sumatran elephants in the surrounding landscape.
The initiatives are part of a broader cooperation framework established under an existing memorandum of understanding between the Indonesian government and Vantara. The MoU covers collaboration in wildlife health, animal welfare and conservation, with priority areas aligned with Indonesia’s national conservation priorities.
Under the agreement, Vantara will contribute its expertise in veterinary care, animal husbandry and conservation, along with technical capabilities, infrastructure support and capacity-building programmes. The organisation will work with the Indonesian government, relevant national institutions and Fauna Land.
The broader cooperation includes wildlife health and veterinary care, in-situ and ex-situ conservation, animal welfare, conservation breeding, rehabilitation, rewilding and capacity building, among other mutually agreed areas.
For Vantara, the partnership marks an expansion of its international conservation activities following the release of its Five-Year Plan. It will extend expertise and capabilities developed at its Jamnagar facility to support wildlife health, animal care and in-situ conservation programmes internationally.
The collaboration also follows Vantara’s recent voluntary commitments to India’s CITES management authority to further support conservation efforts in the natural range of wildlife.
The Indonesian government and Vantara will continue to develop the areas of cooperation under the partnership in accordance with Indonesia’s national conservation priorities and applicable laws and policies.