- 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.
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