Skip to main content

After Ambani zoo probe, wildlife body reverses call to curb animal imports to India

A United Nations wildlife trade body decided on Sunday not to restrict India from importing endangered animals, after many countries supported reversing an earlier, stringent recommendation that had embroiled the private zoo run by Asia’s richest family.


Vantara, a 3,500-acre zoo in Gujarat run by the philanthropic arm of the Reliance conglomerate led by Mukesh Ambani and his family, had faced allegations from non-profit and wildlife groups of improper imports of some animals, triggering higher scrutiny by Germany and the European Union.


After visiting the facility in September, the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cities) issued a report this month asking India to “not issue any further import permits” as discrepancies had been found between exporter and importer trade data, and there were insufficient checks on the origin of some animals.


At the Cities meeting in Uzbekistan, live-streamed on Sunday, the recommendation was reversed after many countries, including India, the United States, Japan, and Brazil, said the measure was too premature, with some also saying there was no evidence of illegal imports into India.


“There doesn’t seem to be enough support for retaining the recommendation,” Naimah Aziz, Chair of the Cities Standing Committee, told the delegates, adding that it could consider if further regulatory measures were needed.


Cities is a global treaty that regulates trade in endangered plants and animals. India had earlier opposed the UN recommendation.


Vantara, which previously said it remains committed to transparency and legal compliance, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

## Vantara Zoo has animals from around the world

The Vantara zoo houses around 2,000 species, including exotic animals imported from South Africa, Venezuela and the Democratic Republic of Congo, such as snakes, tortoises, tigers, giraffes and spiny-tailed lizards.


While India’s delegate affirmed the country’s commitment to Cities compliance, Belgium and at least one conservation group, the Pan African Sanctuary Alliance, on Sunday pushed to suspend exports to India until concerns were addressed.


In September, an Indian Supreme Court-appointed investigation cleared Vantara of wrongdoing, while the facility said it complies with all laws.


European Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall said in August that EU states “will pay particular attention to any export requests directed towards India and the facility in question”.



from Dawn - Home https://ift.tt/OzUY6nA
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani skipping home run derby

Baseball’s biggest star is skipping the home run derby. Shohei Ohtani confirmed after Tuesday’s win over the Diamondbacks that he will not be participating as he continues to rehab an elbow injury that has prevented him from pitching this season. “There’s been some conversations going on,” Ohtani said, according to Juan Toribio of MLB.com . “I’m in the middle of my rehab progression, so it’s not going to look like I’ll be participating.” Manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani and the club reached the decision together. Ohtani signed a historic 10-year, $700-million contract with the Dodgers after winning his second AL MVP award last season with the Angels. Despite his elbow injury, he has served as the Dodgers’ primary DH this season and been one of the most productive hitters in baseball. Ohtani entered Tuesday hitting .316/.399/.635 with a 1.034 OPS. He hit his NL-leading 27th home run in the win. Ohtani had previously participated in the Derby in 2021. Last season’s champion, Vlad...
Post a Comment
Read more

Pakistan flag installed at UNSC as country becomes non-permanent member for 8th time

The Pakistani national flag was installed in front of the United Nations Security Council chamber, as the country began its eighth term as a non-permanent member (2025-26) of the 15-member body, according to a press release issued by the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the United Nations on Thursday. Pakistan on Wednesday began a two-year term as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). Elected in June to replace Japan, Pakistan now occupies one of the two Asia-Pacific seats on the UNSC. It will preside over the council in July, a key opportunity to set the agenda and foster dialogue. View this post on Instagram This marks Pakistan’s eighth term on the council, providing an opportunity to shape discussions on pivotal international issues, but also posing significant challenges. “As part of the joining ceremony, flags of the five new incoming non-permanent members — Pakistan, Denmark, Greece, Panam...
Post a Comment
Read more

Heathrow resumes operations as global airlines scramble after shutdown

London’s Heathrow Airport resumed full operations on Saturday, a day after a fire knocked out its power supply and shut Europe’s busiest airport, causing global travel chaos. The travel industry was scrambling to reroute passengers and fix battered airline schedules after the huge fire at an electrical substation serving the airport. Some flights had resumed on Friday evening, but the shuttering of the world’s fifth-busiest airport for most of the day left tens of thousands searching for scarce hotel rooms and replacement seats while airlines tried to return jets and crew to bases. Teams were working across the airport to support passengers affected by the outage, a Heathrow spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “We have hundreds of additional colleagues on hand in our terminals and we have added flights to today’s schedule to facilitate an extra 10,000 passengers travelling through the airport,” the spokesperson said. The travel industry, facing the prospect of a financial ...
Post a Comment
Read more