As a wildlife enthusiast and an elephant lover, I can’t put into words what the idea of Vantara means to those like me. To anyone who hits upon my blog by chance, I have this request: please go through my write-ups on environment. I have a lot of points for your consideration. I also take this opportunity to thank India’s greatest wildlife photographers who are rendering a yeoman service, some of who I am following on social media. Apart from following the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) which aids research projects, I am also keeping tabs on those like Bird Count India, Season Watch and Tree Walk. My contribution is merely my interest and spreading the message. I try to raise awareness and thanks to me, many have become aware of the plight of the temple elephants.
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Meanwhile Vantara is like dream come true. To me, it is the great India give back to Mother Earth for the toll we take on Her with our environmental degradation and mindless pollution denting the o zone layer. The nonprofit initiative as announced by Anant Ambani of the Reliance group, Vantara, is a wildlife rescue and rehab center which already houses myriad species of rescued wildlife from entertainment industry, abuse etc., for instance. The center will focus on research and wellbeing of rescued animals both domestic and wild in a safe haven of sanctuary spread over a 3000 acres in Gujarat, close to their oil refinery in Jam Nagar. State of art animal healthcare is on offer. Details are yet to emerge. First of all my hearty congratulations to the young man who has moved away from tradition venturing into something for the benefit of the soul. Can’t be exactly profit motivated, but cash registers must start ringing once the center is fully operational including the tourist zone and the wildlife institute. A project unprecedented in Indian history of this magnitude, Vantara is a small compensation still for the unlimited damage we are inflicting upon nature day in and day out. Not a Reliance person, NEVER SHOP AT RELIANCE RETAIL for groceries or clothing or whatever as a matter of principle. Never acquired a Reliance phone. For me Reliance always meant ‘unreliable.’ Their foray into the retail sector especially left me with distaste. So Vantara comes as a big surprise. The younger generation are far more responsible. I see a lot of youngsters say these days that they want to stay single and don’t want to become parents and add more burden by way of couple of more human beings to the planet earth.
At the same time, what if this is any preempting move by the Reliance who may have a hidden agenda for acquiring the protected forest areas of India for their ventures now that they are armed with the newly amended Forest conservation (amendment) Act , 2024. At best, it could be an afforestation plan ahead in schedule, of a conserved land acquisition. Me, forever the skeptic! Sick of politics and the wary me would never put total trust on politicians and business men. Both these people have no scruples. They will sell their soul without batting their eyelids. They are No.1 manipulators and every single move of theirs has to have a motive. Only time can prove who really is this Anant Ambani.
So with the zoological park set to open soon, you can expect ticketing; or is it free for visitors Mr. Anant Ambani? Soon you can have game lodges for VVIPs, the Kenyan style. Exotic holiday for India’s elite and rich is in the making where elephants can walk in to the resort in search of water. Yet as the wildlife are treated on rescue in nature’s setting, for the moment let us go with the young tycoon.
As far as rehab of wildlife is concerned, and especially when it comes to the elephants, all you may need can be experienced mahouts with a little tech knowhow. The traditional methods of conservation of wildlife were what that have preserved our forest wealth for centuries. The 2022 Oscar winner ‘The elephant whisperers’ shot in the Nilgiris is about the rehabilitation of orphaned young elephant calves. India’s tribes are seasoned when it comes to sharing spaces with wildlife. No ultra modern laboratory in the world can replace our traditional nature conservationists. So why the needless sophistication. Our expertise must be honing our own inherited strengths and pluses. If you put your faith in India’s wise, you will be able to take better care of our wildlife. Remember Yoga, Meditation and Ayurveda have not international.
A lot can be done without it all being a pompous and mega show. Anant Ambani can also refer to NCF and try sponsoring their projects. This is what conservation is all about. It takes much more than the grandeur; it takes real physical efforts to be monitoring wildlife 24 hours, compiling data and matching, and following up with conservation methods with locals in an effort to protect the endangered species. This is not to undermine Ambani’s efforts to bring in a change in our landscape. But India has dedicated wildlife conservationists doing a stupendous job without making waves about it for decades. It will be worth it even if you stop the likes of Salman Khan and Saif Ali Khan from poaching our blue bucks.
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