Vantara Hosts International Wildlife Welfare Training for Congolese Delegates

In July 2025, Vantara—a large-scale wildlife rescue, rehabilitation, and conservation centre founded by Anant Ambani in Jamnagar, Gujarat—welcomed a 15-member delegation from the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN), the primary body overseeing protected zones in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

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The group includes veterinarians, biologists, and technical staff from the Kinshasa Zoological Garden in Gombe commune. They have begun a specialised three‑month training programme focused on enhancing wildlife care standards and creating naturalistic safe havens for animals under human care.

Over the first seven weeks, delegates completed foundational training in animal husbandry, nutrition, paddock design, maintenance, and enrichment strategies to improve animal well-being. The training combines classroom learning with hands‑on fieldwork and is delivered in French with translation, visuals, and demonstrations to support effective understanding. In the current phase, the programme has shifted to discipline-specific modules:

• Veterinarians are learning veterinary anatomy, diagnostics, clinical protocol, surgery, preventive care, and emergency response.
• Biologists are studying species-based nutrition, behaviour, enclosure layout, and enrichment design.
• Non-technical staff are trained in enclosure upkeep, feed management, educational engagement, hygiene, and safety procedures within animal care zones.

Dr Brij Kishor Gupta, Director at Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre, Vantara, emphasised that true conservation transcends borders. He said hosting the ICCN delegation aligns with Vantara’s commitment to sharing expertise and supporting conservation in globally vital ecosystems like the Congo Basin.

Looking ahead, Vantara will collaborate with regulatory authorities to organize events such as the National Elephant Mahout Meet, a National Wildlife Veterinary Training in August, and the National Zoo Directors’ Conference in October, aimed at fostering knowledge exchange among experts, policymakers, and practitioners.

This exchange marks a significant milestone in India–DRC wildlife cooperation, strengthening practical conservation capacity, elevating animal welfare standards, and laying foundations for enduring global partnerships.