Vantara sets up independent Governing Council with global wildlife experts, strengthens oversight

THEBUSINESSBYES BUREAU

JAMNAGAR, SEPTEMBER 4, 2026

Vantara on Friday announced the full membership of its newly established independent Governing Council, bringing together prominent Indian and international experts to oversee its conservation, rescue and compliance work, while playing a key role in shaping the wildlife organisation’s vision for the next five years and beyond.

The five-member council, along with one ex-officio non-voting member, comprises experts with extensive experience in wildlife policy, Indian and international law, institutional governance, wildlife crime, human-wildlife conflict, zoo and aquarium standards, veterinary care, stakeholder engagement and community-based conservation.

John E. Scanlon AO, renowned environmentalist and former Secretary-General of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), who was appointed as the independent Chair in August 2026, will lead the council.

Joining Scanlon on the council is Justice Krishna Murari, former Judge of the Supreme Court of India and former Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, who brings extensive experience in law, governance and institutional oversight.

Craig Hoover, Executive Vice President of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), is another member of the council. Hoover has three decades of experience in wildlife conservation, including senior positions with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, where he worked on international conservation and wildlife trade. He will begin his term in January 2027 after completing his tenure with AZA.

Subhash K. Malkhede, a senior Indian Forest Service officer and former Chief Wildlife Warden of Karnataka, will contribute his extensive experience in wildlife conservation, protected-area and endangered-species management, human-wildlife conflict, wildlife law enforcement and regulatory oversight.

The council will also include Greta F. Iori, an Ethiopian-Italian conservation expert with significant experience in wildlife crime, human-wildlife coexistence, women’s leadership and community-based conservation across Africa.

Dr Kushal Konwar Sarma, an Indian wildlife veterinarian and elephant specialist and former Professor and Head of the Department of Surgery and Radiology at the College of Veterinary Science, Guwahati, will serve as an ex-officio, non-voting member.

Vantara said all council members will serve in an independent personal capacity, while its employees cannot serve as voting members of the Governing Council.

“The Governing Council has a central role to play in setting the future vision for Vantara and in ensuring it embeds recently announced changes into its daily operations,” Scanlon, Chair of the Governing Council, said.

 “With these appointments, we are bringing in people with outstanding professional credentials, extensive experience, and exemplary personal credibility. It’s an exceptional team that blends deep expertise from within India and globally,” he added.

Scanlon said the council would work to create a lasting and transformative positive impact on wildlife conservation while engaging with Vantara staff and the wider conservation community.

Vantara CEO Vivaan Karani welcomed the appointments, saying the council would be instrumental in setting the organisation’s future vision and ensuring that it operates to the highest standards as it advances science-led conservation.

 “The independent authority of the Council is central to our efforts to fully implement the commitments made in our letter to the Indian CITES Management Authority last month, and to ensuring Vantara’s decisions are subject to rigorous and independent oversight,” Karani said.

The Governing Council will function as Vantara’s peak governing body, with overall responsibility for supervising its conservation, rescue and rehabilitation activities, compliance with Indian law, CITES and other international agreements, as well as helping determine its strategic direction for the coming years.

Under Vantara’s recently announced governance reforms, the organisation has committed that no application to import an animal will be made before June 5, 2027. Thereafter, commitments restricting applications to import animals in specified circumstances will apply, and no application can be advanced without the council’s prior written approval following an internal due diligence process.

Vantara said the creation of the Governing Council forms part of its wider voluntary commitments aimed at strengthening transparency, due diligence and operating practices. The reforms place greater emphasis on adherence to CITES, supporting wildlife in their range states and prioritising rescue, rehabilitation and conservation efforts within India.

The council will also continuously review Vantara’s progress in implementing the commitments contained in its August 19, 2026 letter to the Indian CITES Management Authority.

The Governing Council will be supported by a new CITES Due Diligence Committee and an Advisory Board, along with the Special Director and the Office of Compliance and Due Diligence, all of which form part of the governance framework outlined in Vantara’s letter to the Indian CITES Management Authority.

Vantara has also committed to deeper engagement with the conservation community. As part of this effort, the council will explore a mechanism for sustained dialogue with conservation professionals working in the field, with the aim of sharing knowledge, ideas and perspectives.

The council is expected to gather feedback from stakeholders before determining the most appropriate mechanism for such engagement, marking a further step in Vantara’s stated efforts to strengthen independent oversight, transparency and collaboration in wildlife conservation.