This Diwali, Anant Ambani has arranged a chartered flight to bring the elephants from Tunisia to Wantara, where they will experience a new life full of care and compassion.
Vantara was founded by Anant, a private wildlife agency in Tunisia who approached Vantara for a supportive environment that would sustainably meet the elephants’ specific dietary, housing and medical needs.
More than 20 years ago, Akhtam, Kani and Mina, who were only four years old, moved from Burkina Faso to Tunisia and lived there for nearly 23 years.
Now, with all regulatory and legal compliance completed, including alignment with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the elephants are preparing to travel to India on a chartered flight.
While elephants have always been a core attraction of the facility, ongoing challenges prompted the decision to find a dedicated care environment for them that would meet their needs in the long term.
Recognizing that the elephants were unlikely to return to the wild after years of human care, the facility sought a location that would ensure the elephants’ well-being in a natural and rich habitat. Vantara is considered the ideal destination for a peaceful and fulfilling retirement life.
A recent health assessment by Vantara’s veterinary team noted that the elephants could benefit from tailored medical care and a supportive environment. Achtaum’s tusks are split and has a minor molar infection that requires ongoing care, while Kani’s nails are cracked from years of use on hard floors. Elephants are currently housed in crude conditions with limited improvements to their physical and mental health. Their diet consists mainly of hay and their access to water varies.
In the wild, African forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) are native to tropical forests in central and west Africa, where they feed on a variety of leaves and enjoy wallowing in mud, which is important for skin health. At Wantara, extensive, rich enclosures with native flora, mud pools and food designed to encourage natural foraging behavior will provide Akhtam, Carni and Mina with life closely associated with their natural habitats . Vantara’s team works to create an environment of compassionate care that promotes the physical, mental and social well-being of elephants and provides them with new opportunities to experience life as close to their wild habitat as possible.
