Stolen Bangladesh lemurs reportedly found at Ambani’s Vantara; claim denied

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Stolen Bangladesh lemurs reportedly found at Ambani’s Vantara; claim denied

Peoples Time Desk

Published : Saturday, 12 September, 2026 at 5:42 PM, Count : 26

Stolen Bangladesh lemurs reportedly found at Ambani’s Vantara; claim denied

Two ring-tailed lemurs stolen from the Gazipur Safari Park have reportedly been found at Vantara, a wildlife centre in Gujarat run by a trust backed by Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani.

The two lemurs were part of a trio stolen from the Gazipur Safari Park in March 2025 and allegedly smuggled out of Bangladesh, according to the Criminal Investigation Department.

Vantara, however, has rejected the allegation.

Vantara is a 3,500-acre wildlife centre in Gujarat operated by the Radhe Krishna Temple Elephant Welfare Trust, which is backed by Reliance, the business conglomerate owned by Mukesh Ambani, one of Asia’s richest people.

The centre was conceived by Ambani’s son, Anant Ambani, reports The Independent.

Bangladeshi authorities were alerted after photographs of the lemurs at Vantara appeared on social media. They have since sought assistance from Interpol to repatriate the animals.

The process has been complicated by the absence of microchips, unique identification numbers and stored DNA profiles that could be used to verify the identities of the animals.

Authorities are now seeking to DNA-profile the juvenile lemur that remains in Bangladesh to establish whether it is related to the two animals reportedly found in India.

According to The Independent, the lemurs were smuggled into India through the Darshana border in Chuadanga and sold for nearly Rs4.8 million, or about £504,000.

Investigators said the animals were stolen with the help of a security guard and taken to India with the assistance of a border lineman, citing confession statements from suspects in the case.

The lemurs were subsequently passed through several people before reaching Jamnagar in western India, where they were allegedly sold to an institution associated with the Vantara wildlife centre.

The CID said six of the eight suspects in the smuggling case had confessed before a local court.

The animals had originally been brought into Bangladesh through Dhaka airport in 2018 under a false declaration to customs, investigators said. They were later rescued and transferred to the Gazipur Safari Park.

Ring-tailed lemurs are native to Madagascar in Africa and are critically endangered.

In an official statement posted on its Facebook page, Vantara said every animal under its care has a documented provenance and that it was confident the lemurs referred to in recent reports had been acquired in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

Vantara remains ready to support the relevant authorities in establishing the facts, including through DNA comparison if appropriate, it added.

It also said every animal in its care was held in accordance with Indian law and under the oversight of the country’s competent authorities.

The centre said it was placing the complete records of the ring-tailed lemurs in its care before the relevant authorities and had requested its independent Governing Council to examine the records.

Vantara said it welcomed scientific verification, including DNA testing carried out through the competent authorities of India and Bangladesh, and would fully cooperate with any lawful request.

The Ambani family has long maintained a close relationship with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, who inaugurated Vantara in March 2025, according to The Independent.

Animal rights groups have expressed doubts about Vantara’s role as a conservation initiative, citing concerns over transparency surrounding its animal acquisitions as well as its emphasis on rare species and large-scale infrastructure.

They have also questioned the centre’s impact on public zoos following the transfer of animals to Vantara from states including Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh.

Vantara has additionally faced allegations of improperly importing animals, prompting scrutiny from authorities in Germany and the European Union.

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