The challenge of wildlife protection in the 21st century is growing more complex. Habitat loss, climate stress and human–wildlife conflict stretch the capacity of public institutions, making partnerships with private actors not just useful but essential.
Public–private collaborations can bring in resources, veterinary expertise and global best practices, while public authorities maintain oversight and accountability. India has begun to see the value of this model.
The National Zoological Park in Delhi recently signed a knowledge-sharing agreement with Vantara, Reliance Foundation’s animal rescue and conservation centre.
Under the leadership of Anant Ambani, Vantara has become a hub of advanced veterinary care and conservation, exemplifying how private initiatives can support and strengthen public wildlife institutions.
The partnership focuses on veterinary training, advanced care, and rehabilitation practices, ensuring that government-run facilities benefit from the technical strength of a modern centre without ceding management.
Similarly, Vantara collaborates with the Assam State Zoo, Nagaland Zoological Park, and Sardar Patel Zoological Park, while engaging with international bodies like the Smithsonian and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Similar collaborations have worked well elsewhere. In Assam, the state forest department has worked with the NGO Wildlife Trust of India to run emergency response units for elephants and rhinos. Globally, Kenya’s government partners with the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in orphaned elephant rescue, the US sees collaboration between zoos and federal wildlife agencies for species recovery, and the UK’s Zoological Society of London engages with local councils for wetland restoration.
What these examples share is clarity of roles: public institutions retain ownership and regulatory control, while private partners bring funds, innovation and global networks.
Vantara exemplifies this. One of the world’s largest animal rescue and conservation centres, it’s a leader for advanced veterinary infrastructure and holistic care. It has rescued leopards from road accidents in India, crocodiles from overcrowded enclosures in Tamil Nadu, and endangered species from crisis-hit facilities in Mexico, Venezuela, Slovakia and Africa, all with the Central Zoo Authority’s approval.
It is also helping the Zoo Authority of India upgrade 150+ zoos through training, capacity-building and veterinary education, with plans for a university for wildlife veterinarians. These are precisely the kinds of private investments that can reinforce public systems rather than bypass them.
The way forward lies in structured partnerships that lead to improved animal welfare, higher rehabilitation success rates, stronger scientific exchange and greater transparency. If designed well, collaborations like that between the Delhi Zoo and Vantara could serve as templates for India’s wider zoo and rescue-centre network.
The lesson from global experience is clear: the future of wildlife protection will not rest on governments or private actors alone, but on their willingness to stand together for the species that cannot speak for themselves.
