A remarkable story unfolds involving Spix’s macaw, a striking blue parrot declared extinct in the wild in 2019.

Following a captive-breeding program, some of these birds have been reintroduced to their native habitat in Brazil. However, 26 of them recently surfaced at a private zoo in India operated by the philanthropic arm of the Ambani family, Asia’s wealthiest clan.

For over two years, officials across three continents have raised concerns about how these macaws ended up at the Vantara animal rescue and rehabilitation center in Gujarat.

While Indian investigators cleared the sanctuary of any wrongdoing this week, European officials remain vigilant regarding any future exports to Vantara. Brazil, Germany, and India are also collaborating to find a resolution through a United Nations body that monitors wildlife trade.

The 3,500-acre Vantara center claims to house around 2,000 species and gained attention during the pre-wedding celebrations of Anant Ambani, the youngest son of billionaire Mukesh Ambani. The zoo, adjacent to an oil refinery operated by Reliance Industries, was inaugurated in March by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

A Reuters analysis of customs records reveals that since 2022, Vantara has imported a vast array of exotic species from countries like South Africa, Venezuela, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the UAE. The imports resemble a modern-day Noah’s Ark, including 2,896 snakes, 1,431 tortoises, 219 tigers, 149 cheetahs, 105 giraffes, and various reptiles.

A spokesperson for Vantara emphasized that the reported value of $9 million reflected freight and insurance charges, not payments for the animals, asserting that there have been no commercial transactions involved.

In August, India’s Supreme Court instructed investigators to assess whether Vantara’s animal acquisitions and treatment comply with Indian laws and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

This week, the court affirmed that no illegality was found. The controversy primarily centers on the Spix’s macaws sourced in 2023 from the Association for the Conservation of Threatened Parrots (ACTP), a German non-profit that partnered with Brazilian authorities to breed the birds.