Vantara, the wildlife conservation, rescue and rehabilitation centre in Gujarat’s Jamnagar, on Wednesday submitted a set of voluntary commitments to the CITES Management Authority of India aimed at ensuring better governance, transparency and compliance.

The commitments said that Vantara will ensure adherence to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

The commitments were submitted to the CITES Management Authority and filed with the Supreme Court for overall compliance. CITES regulates international trade in wild animals and plants to ensure that such movement does not threaten their survival.

Vantara also said it will prioritise in-situ conservation, supporting wildlife within their range states, and put a greater focus on India as part of the shift. In-situ conservation is the protection of wildlife in their natural habitat.

“Vantara remains steadfast in its belief that every life matters, a principle that guides both the care it provides to animals at its Jamnagar campus and the expertise, resources and support it is increasingly extending to wildlife conservation in source countries,” the wildlife conservation centre said in a statement.

The commitments come after Vantara’s Governing Council said it reviewed the critiques, observations and suggestions raised by organisations, experts, and stakeholders over time.

It also said it will work in areas related to rescue, rehabilitation and conservation within India, while supporting state wildlife agencies at the same time.

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Vantara also announced other measures, including strengthening rescue centres and veterinary hospitals as part of its international efforts. A dedicated international fund to support wildlife conservation locally is also among the measures.

To ensure transparency, it announced that it would publish six-monthly progress reports to the CITES Management Authority, invite the agency for inspections and deepen engagement with the conservation community.

Vantara said it will withdraw pending applications to import animals, make no new import applications and consult the CITES Management Authority before any future import application.

It said it would only import animals from registered zoos, adding that it would not import any great apes, big cats or any endangered wildlife species.