New Delhi: A high-level global wildlife committee under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has recommended that India temporarily pause the import of wild animals until the country strengthens its permit and compliance processes governing such transfers.
The recommendation follows the committee’s recent visit to the Vantara Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre in Jamnagar, Gujarat, a facility run under the Reliance Foundation. During the visit, the committee praised the centre for its “exceptionally high standards” of care, advanced veterinary infrastructure and specialised rehabilitation protocols. However, the team flagged inconsistencies in how India’s import permit codes were recorded and processed, saying these gaps raise questions about documentation clarity and regulatory due diligence.
According to CITES, the temporary halt should continue until India can assure that every wildlife import is in strict conformity with global norms under the Convention, and that no transaction is carried out in ways that could violate international best practices.
Notably, the fresh recommendation by CITES appears to contrast with the observations made earlier by a Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT). That panel had examined Vantara’s animal acquisitions and reported that no statutory irregularities were found in the process.
The new advisory now places regulatory focus back on India’s systems and protocols, not only on the individual facilities involved, underscoring the need for clarity, documentation consistency and stronger cross-agency compliance in a sector where scrutiny is global and stakes are high.
