Vantara expands elephant welfare outreach across India, globally
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Vantara, founded by Anant Ambani, has expanded its elephant welfare and conservation initiatives across India and internationally, as it marked World Elephant Day with a series of programmes focused on animal healthcare, caregiver support, knowledge sharing and human-elephant coexistence.
Home to more than 260 Asian elephants, Vantara said its work began with the rescue of Gauri, the first elephant rescued by Ambani, and has since evolved into a broader effort to strengthen elephant welfare and conservation.
“Every elephant we care for has a unique story, and every rescue reminds us of the responsibility we have towards their welfare,” Ambani, Founder, Vantara, said.
He added that the organisation’s work now includes supporting people who care for elephants, sharing knowledge with partners and contributing to conservation efforts in India and globally.
As part of the latest initiatives, Vantara has partnered with the Rajasthan Forest Department to strengthen the care of elephants at Hathi Gaon in Jaipur. The collaboration will establish an 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 an Elephant Welfare Outreach Programme across eight locations in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
The programme covered the welfare of 182 elephants and involved 242 mahouts. It included preventive veterinary care and practical training on elephant health, humane handling, first aid and musth management. Veterinary and welfare kits and nutritional support were also provided.
The organisation has also launched My Friend Leelavati, a social media campaign aimed at children to promote empathy towards elephants through the story of Leelavati, a rescued elephant who endured separation from her mother, years in a circus and severe burn injuries.
At the global level, 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 in Bangkok in March 2027.
The initiative will cover delegates from all 13 Asian elephant range states, at least five African range states and youth representatives. Vantara also continues to deploy veterinary response teams, thermal drone surveillance and community engagement programmes to support injured elephants and promote coexistence between people and elephants.