Listen to this article:

Bengaluru: The Supreme Court has dismissed a petition that requested another probe into imports of wild animals by Vantara, the Reliance-owned zoo and rescue center in Gujarat’s Jamnagar. The petition was based on findings detailed in a document released in October by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the multilateral body which regulates international trade in wildlife and wildlife parts.

Hearing the petition on March 9, the court said that the CITES document had arrived at the same conclusion that the Special Investigation Team appointed by the court made in September last year – that all permits were in order and that the imports were not for commercial purposes.

However, what the court did not say is that the CITES document said much more. While the document does say that it did not find evidence of animals being imported to India without valid permits, some animal imports “still raised questions” about several aspects including India not exercising “due diligence” in giving some permits, it said. The document had also pointed out specific cases of animal imports to make these arguments, as The Wire has previously reported.

What the petition said

The petition filed in the Supreme Court had requested that the court look into the import of wildlife from across the world to Vantara (also called the Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre or GZRRC), Reliance’s zoo cum rescue center in Jamnagar, Gujarat. 

Citing a document published by CITES in October 2025, the petition alleged violations of CITES regulations in the import of wildlife to the facility. It sought that the court ask the facility to place the “entire record pertaining to permissions, recognitions, and import/export licences granted” to the facility since 2019, along with all CITES permits, internal evaluations, minutes of the Central Zoo Authority, and any correspondence exchanged with the CITES Secretariat or foreign Management Authorities related to this matter. All country signatories to the CITES have a Management Authority that takes decisions pertaining to CITES permits, among other things; in India, it is the Union environment ministry. 

The petition requested the court to constitute an “Independent National Wildlife Trade Compliance Monitoring Committee”, chaired by a retired Judge of the Supreme Court and comprising eminent experts in wildlife biology, international trade regulation and environmental law. It also asked that the Committee be mandated to “verify the legality and authenticity of all CITES import, export and re export permits” connected in this matter. It sought that the government initiate appropriate proceedings under several sections of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 pertaining to acquisition of animals and recognition under the CZA and violations........

© The Wire