CITES Recommends India Pause Wildlife Imports Amid Concerns

As of November 4th, 2025, a committee of CITES, the global wildlife conservation agreement, has recommended that India's wildlife authorities pause issuing permits for importing endangered animals. This comes after the committee's visit to the Vantara animal rescue and rehabilitation center in Jamnagar, India.

The CITES committee found that while the Vantara facilities maintain "exceptionally high standards" and "advanced veterinary care," there are still concerns regarding the origin and purpose of some imported animals. The committee noted several instances where the import permits did not accurately reflect the conditions under which the animals were sourced or their intended use.

For example, the committee highlighted a case where snow leopards were imported from Germany with a "commercial" purpose code, but the Indian authorities later changed it to "zoological" based on the importer's claim that the animals were "donated." The committee said India should have verified the information with German authorities.

In another case, India permitted the import of chimpanzees from Cameroon, only to later find that the export permits were forged. The CITES committee stated that Indian authorities should have checked the CITES database, which would have shown that Cameroon has not traded chimpanzees since 2000.

The CITES committee has now recommended that India pause issuing import permits until it comprehensively reviews its practices and ensures "due diligence is exercised systematically and consistently." India has acknowledged the issues raised and committed to improving its processes to ensure compliance with CITES regulations.