Indian Tax on Animal Imports Hits Ambani Family’s Vantara Zoo

India’s new budget has imposed a 30% customs duty on imports of animals and birds, ending a previous tax exemption and sharply increasing costs for the Vantara zoo, the massive conservation facility run by billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Foundation in Gujarat. The 3,500-acre centre, home to about 2,000 species, has in recent years brought in exotic animals such as cheetahs, rhinoceroses and reptiles from countries including South Africa, the UAE and Venezuela — a scale unmatched by other Indian zoos. Government officials have not explained the rationale for scrapping the tax break, and Vantara did not comment.

Proponents of the new measure say it is intended to promote domestic breeding and self-sufficiency, but experts warn it will significantly raise expenses for international rescue and conservation efforts. Vantara has previously stated that it never pays for the animals themselves, only for insurance and freight, and its imports to date have had a declared value of about $9 million.

The zoo has also been under scrutiny over animal acquisition practices: a U.N. wildlife trade body flagged discrepancies in trade data last year, though India’s Supreme Court cleared Vantara of wrongdoing. European authorities are reportedly still monitoring some exports it receives.

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