Three African forest elephants will soon find their new home in Vantara, the wildlife rescue centre founded by Reliance chairman Mukesh Ambani's son Anant. Vantara, one of the world’s most esteemed wildlife rescue centres is situated in Jamnagar, Gujarat.
Among the three African forest elephants, two are females and one is a male. They are aged around 28 to 29 years and have names – Achtaum, Kani, and Mina, news agency ANI reported.
Anant Ambani earlier booked a charter plane to rescue the three elephants from Tunisia to Vantara to experience a New Life of Care and Compassion, Free Press Journal reported.
According to the report, a private zoo in North Africa's Tunisia approached Anant Ambani's Vantara. The African zoon reportedly struggled to meet the elephants’ complex dietary, housing, and veterinary needs due to financial constraints.
A recent health assessment by Vantara’s veterinary experts revealed that the elephants face various healthcare challenges. "Untreated skin conditions had caused hair loss and matted skin, underscoring the need for consistent medical attention," ANI reported.
The scientific name of African forest elephants is Loxodonta cyclotis. African forest elephants are native to the dense tropical forests of Central and West Africa. However, no wild populations of this species exist in Tunisia.
These elephants thrive in vast forest landscapes, enjoying the freedom to forage on diverse foliage and access mud wallows that benefit their skin health.
According to the report, Vantara has recreated these comforts through expansive and enriched enclosures, featuring native flora, mud pools, and thoughtfully designed food enrichments that encourage natural foraging behaviors.
Their new home at Vantara is said to provide Achtaum, Kani, and Mina with an environment that closely resembles their wild habitat. It will also offer specialised care to support their physical, psychological, and social well-being—a renewed opportunity for them to live a life filled with compassion.
In February this year, Reliance Foundation announced Vantara - a comprehensive Animal Rescue, Care, Conservation and Rehabilitation programme, the first of its kind in India.
Anant Ambani had then said, "We started the wildlife rescue center building in the peak of COVID...We've created a jungle of 600 acres. We created an entire habitat for the elephants and in 2008, we rescued our first elephant..."We have saved more than 200 elephants and brought them here from all parts of the country. We do 'sewa' of elephants here. This is not a zoological park but a 'sewalaya'."
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