World Elephant Day: Vantara expands elephant welfare outreach across India and globally

Jamnagar (Gujarat) [India], August 12 (ANI): Reliance Industries Executive Director, Anant Ambani-founded Vantara today marked World Elephant Day by highlighting its ongoing work across elephant welfare, conservation education and international collaboration, reflecting its commitment to strengthening elephant protection and welfare in India and around the world. Home to more than 260 Asian elephants, Vantara has become one of the world's leading centres for elephant welfare. Elephants hold a special place in Vantara's story and reflect its broader commitment to providing rescued animals with specialised care and a dignified life. Gauri, the first elephant rescued by Anant Ambani, marked the beginning of a journey that has since grown into Vantara. Anant Ambani said elephants have always held a very special place in his heart and in Vantara's journey. 'Every elephant we care for has a unique story, and every rescue reminds us of the responsibility we have towards their welfare. What began with the rescue of Gauri has grown into a wider commitment to improving elephant welfare, supporting the people who care for them, sharing knowledge and learning with partners, and contributing to elephant conservation in India and around the world. On World Elephant Day, we celebrate these magnificent animals and reaffirm our commitment to working together to secure a better future for them,' he said, as per a press release. On the occasion of World Elephant Day, Sanjay Sharma, Rajasthan's Minister for Forest, Environment and Climate Change announced a collaboration with Vantara to strengthen the care and quality of life of elephants at Hathi Gaon, Jaipur. The initiative will include a state-of-the-art Elephant Treatment & Care Facility, comprising an advanced hospital, nutrition centre and hydrotherapy facility, along with a dedicated Retirement & Care Centre for elderly elephants. Bringing together the experience of the Rajasthan Forest Department and Vantara, the collaboration will support these elephants through every stage of their lives, helping ensure that their individual needs are better understood and addressed, and creating a happier, more comfortable and compassionate future for the elephants of Hathi Gaon. Vantara has recently completed a large-scale Elephant Welfare Outreach Programme in partnership with State Forest Departments across eight locations in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Bringing together the experience and expertise of teams working with elephants on the ground, the programme focused on knowledge sharing and the exchange of best practices to support the health and welfare of 182 elephants, while engaging 242 mahouts. The collaboration included preventive veterinary care and practical sessions covering elephant health, humane handling, first aid and musth management. Veterinary and welfare kits, along with nutritional support, were also provided as part of the programme. Through these partnerships, Vantara aims to foster continued exchange among elephant-care professionals, promote best practices and strengthen collaborative approaches to improving elephant welfare. Vantara has launched My Friend Leelavati, a social media campaign for children promoting empathy and compassion through the story of Leelavati, an elephant who was separated from her mother as a calf, spent years in a circus, and later suffered extensive burn injuries when a circus tent caught fire. Leelavati has become one of Vantara's most beloved elephants, and her story helps children understand that every elephant deserves kindness, compassionate care and a life of dignity. As part of the campaign, children are invited to solve a themed puzzle and write a message for Leelavati. Winners will receive a Leelavati gift hamper and the opportunity to visit Vantara, meet Leelavati and her caregiver, and learn first-hand about elephant rescue and lifelong care. To strengthen international cooperation on human-elephant conflict, Vantara is providing a grant to the Elephant Protection Initiative (EPI) Foundation to support the participation of experts, practitioners and youth representatives from Asian and African elephant range states at the 1st Global Human-Elephant Conflict Summit and the 2nd International Conference on Human-Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence, to be held in Bangkok in March 2027. The grant will support delegates from all 13 Asian elephant range states, at least five African elephant range states working with the EPI Foundation, and youth representatives from both regions. It will also enable the expansion of the EPI Youth Ambassadors Programme into India for the first time, creating opportunities for practitioners and young conservationists to share experiences, learn from approaches across Africa and Asia, and strengthen collaboration on human-elephant conflict mitigation and coexistence. On the ground, Vantara continues to deploy rapid-response veterinary teams, thermal drone surveillance and community engagement programmes to respond to human-elephant conflict, provide veterinary support to injured elephants and promote long-term coexistence between people and elephants. (ANI)