A report published by Bangladeshi media outlet Ajker patrika has claimed that two ring-tailed lemurs stolen from Gazipur Safari Park in Bangladesh were found at Anant Ambani-owned Vantara, Gujarat, India.
The report also cited Bangladesh’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID), saying the animals were sold through several intermediaries for around Rs 4.8 million. Bangladesh has sought Interpol’s help in connection with the matter and is seeking the return of the two lemurs.
Key identification records were never maintained
However, there is no scientific confirmation that the lemurs at the Gujarat facility are the same animals that went missing from Gazipur Safari Park.
The main issue is the lack of individual identification records. The two lemurs had reportedly been at Gazipur Safari Park for more than five years, but the park did not microchip them. It also did not maintain unique identification numbers or DNA profiles for the animals.
Because of this, there is no reliable identification record that can establish a direct link between the lemurs at Vantara and the animals reported missing from Bangladesh.
Claims without confirmation
Without a microchip, unique identification number or stored DNA profile, it is not possible to scientifically confirm that the animals found in Gujarat are the same two lemurs from Gazipur Safari Park.
Therefore, simply matching the species or other general features of the animals does not establish their identity or ownership. Claims that the lemurs recovered in Gujarat were the stolen animals remain unsubstantiated in the absence of proper identification evidence.
The lack of these records has also made the repatriation process difficult, as Bangladesh would need to establish that the animals in Gujarat are actually the same ones that were reported stolen.
Vantara’s Role in Animal Conservation
Vantara is a wildlife rescue and conservation project in Gujarat managed by Anant Ambani. The facility is owned by Reliance and is part of a 3,500-acre conservation centre. Although its operations began earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally inaugurated the centre in March 2025.
Anant Ambani, the younger son of Reliance chairman and managing director Mukesh Ambani, oversees its management. Vantara has been working on wildlife rescue, rehabilitation and conservation, making unverified claims about animals at the facility particularly concerning.
At present, the claim connecting the two lemurs at Vantara to those stolen from Gazipur Safari Park remains without scientific proof. Since the animals from Gazipur were never microchipped and did not have unique identification numbers or DNA profiles, there is no reliable way to establish that they are the same lemurs.
Making such claims without proper confirmation can create a misleading impression and unfairly defame Vantara, despite its work in animal rescue, rehabilitation and conservation. The identity and ownership of the animals should be established through proper evidence rather than speculation.
