Anant Ambani, a 29-year-old Indian billionaire, has been dominating the headlines for his $600 million wedding and multi-million dollar watch collection. However, this time, it is not bling but his benevolence that has grabbed the spotlight. The animal lover recently showed his concern upon learning about the severe drought in Namibia. The gentle-hearted Reliance Industries scion is a champion of animal welfare, and his passion project, Vantara, a 3,000-acre animal shelter in Gujarat, India, and his hometown, Jamnagar, stands as proof.
To give some backdrop on the conditions in Namibia, the severity of the drought caused the drying of staple crops, death of livestock, and depleted food reserves. The nation had no choice but to cull 723 animals, including 30 hippopotamuses, 60 buffaloes, 50 impalas, 100 blue wildebeest, 300 zebras, 83 elephants, and 100 elands, per CNN. Things may turn out differently as the Ambani heir has reached out to help tackle the adversity.
Someone like Ambani, who has created a haven for animals in Jamnagar, will certainly not remain idle when he has the linchpin of a game-changing animal rescue program, Vantara, at his disposal.
In a letter to Namibian officials, the Vantara Foundation expressed concern over the potential culling of animals to manage the calamity and offered to explore alternative methods than culling so many animals. Vantara, nearly four times the size of New York City’s Central Park, employs an army of over 2,000 experts working in advanced facilities and research centers. They currently care for over 2,000 species and have offered Namibia either lifelong care or temporary refuge for the wild animals.
Vantara has successfully saved over 200 elephants, alongside numerous reptiles and birds, and critical species such as rhinos, leopards, and crocodiles. Another couple hundred animals could be easily accommodated in the vast animal shelter with a hospital spread over 150,000 square feet. Let’s wait and see whether the kind-hearted billionaire can achieve with this latest mission.
