Vantara will welcome three African elephants from Tunisia to experience a new life of care and compassion

Latest update:October 31, 2024 05:42 PM EST

With limited resources to meet the elephants’ needs, a private Tunisian zoo turned to Vantara for help in providing shelter for them.

The elephants will be flown to India by chartered cargo plane. Photo/News18

Three African forest elephants – two females and one male, aged 28 to 29 years – will soon find a loving new home at Vantara, one of the world’s most respected wildlife rescue centers, located in Jamnagar, India. Vantara, founded by Anant Mukesh Ambani, was approached by a private zoo in Tunisia that was struggling to meet the complex dietary, housing and veterinary needs of its elephants due to financial constraints. More than two decades ago, when they were just four years old, Akhtaum, Kani and Mina were transferred from Burkina Faso to Parc Phrygia, a zoo in Tunisia, where they remained a spectacle for visitors for nearly 23 years. All regulatory compliance with national and international law has been met, including the requirements of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The elephants will be flown to India by chartered cargo plane.

Despite being the main attraction of Phrygia Park, financial constraints began to affect the zoo, leading to the decision to retire the three African forest elephants and offset the costs. The zoo acknowledged that after years of captivity and heavy dependence on human care, a return to the wild was neither practical nor desirable. Consequently, they sought a facility that could offer elephants the best chance for a peaceful and fulfilling retirement that would meet all of their specialized medical needs and provide the compassionate care they deserve. Ultimately, Vantara was identified as the ideal destination.

A recent health assessment conducted by veterinary experts at Vantara found that elephants face a variety of health problems. Untreated skin conditions have resulted in hair loss and matted skin, highlighting the need for ongoing medical attention. Achtaum has a split canine tooth and a molar infection requiring extensive medical and surgical treatment, while Kani is showing signs of cracked nails, likely due to prolonged exposure to hard floors. Currently, elephants live in poorly ventilated concrete huts and enclosures that lack essential nutrients needed for their mental and physical well-being. Their diet consisted primarily of dry hay with limited access to clean water.

Although African forest elephants (Loxodonta cycltis) are native to the dense tropical forests of central and western Africa, there are no wild populations of the species in Tunisia. In their natural habitat, these elephants thrive in vast forested landscapes, enjoying the freedom to forage on a variety of foliage and access to mud swamps that are beneficial for the health of their skin. Vantara has recreated these amenities with expansive, enriched enclosures filled with native flora, mud pools, and thoughtful nutritional supplements that encourage natural foraging behavior. Their new home in Wantara will provide Ahtaum, Kani and Mina with an environment very reminiscent of their wild habitat, while offering specialist care to support their physical, psychological and social well-being – a new opportunity for them to live compassionate lives.

Location :

Jamnagar, India