Vantara’s Elephant Mission Goes Global: 260+ Elephants, Major Welfare Push Across India
Vantara, founded by Anant Ambani, is expanding its elephant welfare and conservation work across India and into international initiatives, with a growing focus on animal healthcare, caregiver support, knowledge sharing and improving coexistence between people and elephants.
The organisation marked World Elephant Day with a series of programmes aimed at addressing some of the key challenges surrounding elephant welfare. Its initiatives range from veterinary care and training for elephant caregivers to conservation partnerships, community engagement and support for international discussions on human-elephant conflict.
Vantara currently cares for more than 260 Asian elephants. According to the organisation, its journey in elephant welfare began with the rescue of Gauri, the first elephant rescued by Anant Ambani. What started with individual rescue efforts has since developed into a wider programme focused on improving the health, safety and long-term welfare of elephants.
“Every elephant we care for has a unique story, and every rescue reminds us of the responsibility we have towards their welfare,” Ambani, Founder of Vantara, said.
He said the organisation’s work has now grown beyond rescue and treatment. It also includes supporting the people responsible for caring for elephants, sharing practical knowledge with partners and contributing to conservation programmes in India and other parts of the world.
Vantara Partners With Rajasthan Forest Department for Elephant Care
One of the major initiatives announced as part of the latest outreach programme involves a partnership between Vantara and the Rajasthan Forest Department.
Under the collaboration, Vantara will support efforts to strengthen elephant care facilities at Hathi Gaon in Jaipur. The planned Elephant Treatment & Care Facility is expected to include an advanced hospital, a nutrition centre and a hydrotherapy facility.
The partnership will also include a dedicated Retirement & Care Centre for elderly elephants. Such facilities are intended to provide specialised support for elephants that require long-term care because of age, health conditions or other welfare needs.
The initiative reflects a broader approach to elephant welfare in which medical treatment is combined with nutrition, rehabilitation and long-term care.
Elephant Welfare Outreach Reaches Eight Locations
Vantara has also completed an Elephant Welfare Outreach Programme covering eight locations across Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
The programme focused on the welfare of 182 elephants and included the participation of 242 mahouts, who play an important role in the day-to-day care and handling of elephants.
As part of the outreach, veterinary teams provided preventive healthcare and practical guidance on elephant welfare. Training covered areas such as elephant health, humane handling, first aid and the management of musth, a natural physiological condition in male elephants that requires careful handling and appropriate safety measures.
Veterinary and welfare kits were also distributed during the programme, along with nutritional support for elephants.
The focus on mahouts is particularly important because their daily interaction with elephants gives them a significant role in identifying health problems, managing routine care and responding to emergencies. By combining veterinary expertise with practical training, the programme aims to strengthen elephant welfare at the local level.
My Friend Leelavati Campaign Targets Children
Alongside its field programmes, Vantara has launched a social media campaign called “My Friend Leelavati” to encourage children to develop greater empathy towards elephants.
The campaign tells the story of Leelavati, a rescued elephant whose life included separation from her mother, years spent in a circus and serious burn injuries.
Through Leelavati’s story, the campaign seeks to introduce children to the emotional and physical challenges faced by rescued elephants. The initiative uses storytelling to encourage a more compassionate understanding of animals and the importance of responsible human-animal relationships.
The campaign adds an educational element to Vantara’s broader conservation work by focusing on younger audiences and encouraging empathy from an early age.
Vantara Supports Global Human-Elephant Conflict Efforts
Vantara’s elephant welfare initiatives also extend beyond India. At the international level, the organisation is providing a grant to the Elephant Protection Initiative Foundation to support participation by elephant range states at international conferences on human-elephant conflict.
The support is linked to an international conference scheduled to take place in Bangkok in March 2027. The initiative is expected to help representatives from all 13 Asian elephant range states participate, along with delegates from at least five African elephant range states and youth representatives.
Human-elephant conflict remains a major conservation challenge in several parts of Asia and Africa, particularly in areas where growing human populations and elephant habitats overlap. Bringing representatives from different elephant range states together can help facilitate the sharing of experiences, conservation practices and possible approaches to reducing conflict.
Veterinary Teams and Technology Support Elephant Conservation
Vantara is also continuing to use veterinary response teams and technology-based tools as part of its elephant welfare and conservation efforts.
Thermal drone surveillance is among the technologies being deployed to assist in monitoring and responding to situations involving elephants. The organisation is also carrying out community engagement programmes aimed at encouraging safer and more sustainable coexistence between people and elephants.
The combination of veterinary response, technology and community participation reflects the changing nature of wildlife conservation. Protecting elephants is not limited to treating injured animals; it also involves understanding the environments in which elephants and communities live alongside one another.
A Wider Focus on Elephant Welfare
Vantara‘s latest programmes bring together several areas of elephant conservation, including rescue, medical treatment, nutrition, rehabilitation, caregiver training, community engagement and international cooperation.
From its work with more than 260 Asian elephants to outreach programmes involving mahouts across multiple Indian states and support for international conservation discussions, the organisation is seeking to build a broader approach to elephant welfare.
The initiatives announced around World Elephant Day highlight the importance of combining direct animal care with education, professional training and cooperation between conservation organisations, forest departments and local communities.
As Vantara expands its outreach in India and internationally, its elephant welfare programmes are increasingly focused not only on individual rescues but also on strengthening the wider systems that support elephant health, protection and coexistence.
