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Announces 12-Month Animal Import and Overhaul to Supreme Court
In a landmark submission before the , has announced a 12-month self-imposed on animal imports and unveiled a comprehensive overhaul of its compliance and , placing the institution under enhanced scrutiny led by former Secretary-General John E. Scanlon AO.
A Paradigm Shift at the Jamnagar Facility
The Jamnagar-based facility, which operates and , submitted a detailed representation to on , which was subsequently placed before the Supreme Court. The representation responds to guidance from 's mission and , as well as orders from the Supreme Court.
acknowledged that its past practices, while lawful and regularly upheld by courts, left room for enhanced governance and transparency.
"
now understands that this very quality left a silence about itself,"
the representation stated, signaling a deliberate shift toward openness.
12-Month Halt on Imports
The most immediate measure is a 12-month on any application for import, effective from —the date of the last physical import. has withdrawn all pending applications and has not submitted any new import requests since . The is intended to allow the newly established governance and procedures to become fully operational.
Beyond the , has adopted permanent restraints: it will not import any great ape, big cat, or listed specimen from a range state; it will not import any animal taken from the wild; it will not use ; and it will only consider imports from recognized and accredited zoological facilities or conservation breeding programs, subject to compliance with a to be published by the Management Authority.
Three-Tier
Central to 's overhaul is a three-tier internal compliance structure. At the base is , headed by former official Jonathan Barzdo and comprising wildlife veterinarians and experts. Every proposal passes first through this committee, which examines , , and sustainability.
The second tier is , which includes former CEO Dr. Manilal Valliyate and Professor Matti Kiupel of Michigan State University. This board assesses the scientific and conservation case, inspects animals abroad, and reviews alternatives.
The final tier is
, chaired by John E. Scanlon AO, former Secretary-General of
. The council has overall supervision and must approve every acquisition in writing. Scanlon described his role as ensuring
"independent scrutiny and specialist expertise"
in decision-making.
An independent , led by former Indian Forest Service officer Ajit Kulkarni, serves the three bodies and conducts internal audits.
Commitment to
has also committed to redirecting resources toward . Where animals abroad require assistance, will first explore in-country support—treatment, placement, and lifetime care within the range state—rather than moving them to India. This approach, endorsed by , has already been applied in Colombia, Indonesia, Venezuela, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
has entered into with several countries, including Thailand, Costa Rica, and Indonesia, to build wildlife hospitals and rescue centers owned and administered by the competent authorities of those countries.
Judicial Endorsement and Future Outlook
The Supreme Court has previously upheld 's operations, with a finding no violation of or . However, the new measures go beyond legal compliance, aiming to build confidence through independent verification and transparency.
's representation concludes with a nine-point vision plan for the next five years, including human-wildlife conflict mitigation, conservation breeding and rewilding, and the establishment of a wildlife university—India's first—that will train over 50 students annually on scholarship.
Key Observations from 's Representation
"A of twelve months (implemented internally with effect from ... ) upon any application for import, during which enhanced governance expertise and procedures established internally will be brought into working order."
" will not import any great ape, big cat or any listed specimen from a range State of the species concerned, including from a captive breeding facility."
"The measures recorded in this letter reflect a prospective strengthening of 's practices, formulated with the advice of senior experts over the last nine months."
" 's ambition shall be measured not by how many animals come to but how many animals are assisted where they belong."
" will not apply to import and will not import, an animal on the basis of a re-export certificate."
These quotes, drawn from the detailed representation, underscore the transformative nature of 's commitments. The institution, once criticized for opacity, has now opened itself to independent oversight and pledged a future measured by conservation impact rather than collection size.
