UK Ministers Warned Against Meeting Indian Billionaire’s Controversial Mega-Zoo

British government ministers received explicit warnings not to engage formally with Vantara, the controversial mega-zoo run by Indian billionaire Anant Ambani, according to documents obtained under the UK’s Freedom of Information Act. The warnings came after the private animal sanctuary launched lobbying efforts ahead of a UK-chaired meeting on endangered species trade. Internal communications from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) reveal officials cited reputational sensitivities and ongoing compliance proceedings as primary reasons for avoiding ministerial contact with the facility.

Ambani, 31, is the heir to the oil and gas fortune of one of India’s richest men, Mukesh Ambani. He established a 1,400-hectare (3,500-acre) private zoo near his family’s oil-refining facilities in Gujarat, where more than 150,000 animals have reportedly been amassed since 2022. Vantara boasts high welfare standards for animals in its care, including facilities such as an elephant hydrotherapy pool, where more than 260 elephants can receive oil therapies and Ayurvedic massage.

CITES Committee Reviews India’s Compliance Record

This week, the UK heads a 32-country committee meeting in Geneva of CITES, the United Nations body that regulates trade in endangered species. The meeting will examine how India has responded to compliance concerns about imports of endangered animals. Conservation groups have repeatedly questioned how such a vast number of species, many of which are endangered, were gathered so quickly. Last year, India’s supreme court cleared the zoo’s operators of any wrongdoing.

A subsequent CITES fact-finding mission looking into the zoo raised concerns about India’s compliance with international rules on animal imports in 2025. It recommended temporary restrictions on India, although the recommendation was later withdrawn. Its November 2025 report stated a critical warning about the facility’s rapid expansion and potential market effects.

“There is a need for caution to ensure that imports of large numbers of animals by these facilities are not inadvertently creating a demand for illegally sourced animals,” the report stated.

Lobbying Campaign Targets UK Officials

In May, officials from Defra met a representative from Vantara and the US lobbyist firm Checkmate Government Relations, founded by Ches McDowell, a hunting friend of Donald Trump Jr. Before the meeting, internal briefing documents revealed Checkmate was seeking to persuade the UK to take a more sympathetic view of India’s handling of imports to Vantara. The firm also argued that responsibility for verifying legality sits primarily with exporting or re-exporting parties rather than with India as importer.

Documents obtained by The Guardian and news outlet Mongabay reveal Vantara’s extensive efforts to lobby British officials and ministers before the meeting. A central reason why officials warned colleagues against engagement is the UK role chairing a committee at CITES, the global treaty regulating trade in endangered wildlife. An unnamed Defra official wrote in an email on July 14 expressing clear reservations about ministerial contact with the facility.

Officials Flag Permit Concerns and Questionable Donations

“Given the ongoing compliance proceedings and continued scrutiny, we do not advise ministers to engage formally with Vantara at this stage,” the official wrote.

The documents also revealed that Vantara received 152 permits over three years to transfer animals to the facility. Government officials raised concerns over applications by Vantara to import falcons and falcon hybrids after a £50,000 donation from an unnamed source to a UK falcon exporter. The questionable financial arrangement triggered additional scrutiny from British authorities about the legitimacy of wildlife transfer applications.

In a separate internal briefing document obtained by Mongabay and The Guardian and sent later in July, UK officials also raised concerns about how the zoo has sought to acquire rare and endangered species. The zoo describes itself as a wildlife rescue, rehabilitation, and research facility, but the rapid accumulation of such a large animal collection has drawn international skepticism. The British government redacts names of many civil servants in released documents, reflecting a policy of withholding junior officials’ personal information unless they are public-facing or already considered public.

International Scrutiny Intensifies Over Wildlife Imports

In Geneva, the UK is set to chair the Standing Committee of CITES from November 2-6, which will oversee the implementation of the treaty and review compliance cases, including those linked to India’s wildlife imports. The committee’s review will examine whether India has adequately addressed concerns raised by the fact-finding mission about Vantara’s animal acquisition practices. CITES has the authority to impose trade sanctions on countries that fail to comply with international wildlife trade regulations.

Vantara declined to respond to Mongabay’s questions about UK concerns regarding reputational sensitivities and compliance proceedings. The facility’s silence on these matters comes as international conservation groups continue to demand greater transparency about the origins of animals housed at the private zoo. The lack of response has intensified questions about how the facility sources its massive animal collection and whether proper verification procedures were followed for international transfers.

UK Government Maintains Distance From Private Zoo

The explicit advice to ministers underscores the UK government’s cautious approach to handling diplomatic relations with powerful business interests while maintaining credibility as chair of a crucial international wildlife protection committee. British officials face the delicate task of balancing diplomatic relations with India while upholding strict enforcement of endangered species protections. The documents show that civil servants strongly cautioned against ministerial interactions with Vantara to preserve the UK’s impartiality and authority in overseeing global wildlife trade compliance.

The Freedom of Information Act disclosure provides rare insight into how lobbying campaigns by wealthy individuals and their representatives attempt to influence government positions on environmental enforcement matters. The case highlights growing concerns about private wildlife collections operated by billionaires and the challenges international bodies face in regulating cross-border animal transfers. As the CITES committee convenes this week, the UK’s handling of the Vantara matter will serve as a test of its commitment to enforcing wildlife protection standards regardless of economic or political pressures.