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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Zoo owned by India’s richest family denies acquiring stolen lemurs

  • Two critically endangered ring-tailed lemurs stolen from Gazipur Safari Park in Bangladesh in March 2025 were smuggled into India, with reports alleging they were sold to a private zoo linked to the billionaire Ambani family.
  • Bangladesh ’s Criminal Investigation Department confirmed the animals were illegally trafficked across the border for around £504,000, leading to six suspects confessing to their involvement in court.
  • Dhaka has requested Interpol’s assistance to locate and repatriate the lemurs, planning to use DNA profiling from a recovered juvenile lemur to verify their blood relations.
  • Vantara, the Gujarat-based wildlife centre backed by Reliance, categorically denied holding any illegally acquired or trafficked animals from Bangladesh.
  • The zoo expressed full willingness to cooperate with authorities, stating it maintains complete provenance records and is open to participating in DNA testing.

IN FULL

Bangladesh says two stolen lemurs may have been taken to billionaire’s private zoo in India

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