The Assam government will examine the feasibility of a proposal from Reliance Foundation’s wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre Vantara to establish three such facilities in the state, including one dedicated exclusively to Asian elephants.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Wednesday that initiatives aimed at strengthening wildlife care, conservation and Assam’s natural heritage would receive due consideration from the government.
“Assam government will examine the feasibility of the proposed centres and take an appropriate way forward. Initiatives that strengthen wildlife care, conservation and our natural heritage will always merit our consideration,” Sarma said in a social media post.
The proposal was submitted by Vantara on August 12 to the Special Chief Secretary of Assam’s Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department. The organisation offered to assist the state in establishing three Wild Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Centres under the guidance and supervision of the State Forest Department.
According to the proposal, the locations, scale and design of the three facilities would be finalised in consultation with the Forest Department. Vantara also said the centres would subsequently be handed over to the state government free of any encumbrances.
Assam Forest Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah, who shared the proposal on social media, welcomed the initiative and appreciated Reliance Foundation and Anant Ambani for what he described as a thoughtful effort.
The proposal comes as Assam seeks to strengthen its animal healthcare infrastructure and address longstanding gaps in specialised veterinary services for wildlife.
The proposed centres could be particularly significant given the scale of human-elephant conflict in Assam. According to a 2025 Wildlife Institute of India report, more than 1,400 people were killed in human-elephant conflicts in Assam between 2000 and 2023, while 1,209 elephants died during the same period.
The state government had earlier announced plans to expand veterinary infrastructure, including five new veterinary hospitals in Kamrup, Lakhimpur, Golaghat, Tinsukia and Sivasagar districts. Plans were also announced for dedicated pet-care hospitals at Birubari in Guwahati, Khanikar in Dibrugarh and Bokakhat.
With human-elephant conflict continuing to affect both communities and wildlife, the proposed rescue and rehabilitation centres could play an important role in providing specialised treatment, rehabilitation and conservation support if the government approves the initiative.
