Following media reports that two ring-tailed lemurs stolen from Gazipur Safari Park are at Vantara in Jamnagar, Gujarat, India, the park's authorities have promised to cooperate with the investigation. Vantara said it would cooperate fully with any lawful request for scientific verification, including DNA testing, through the relevant authorities in India and Bangladesh.

Vantara said this in a statement on social media on 11 September. Set up in Jamnagar by Reliance Industries and Reliance Foundation, Vantara is known as one of the world's largest wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centres.

The statement said records of the origin and history of every animal at Vantara are kept, and Vantara is certain that the ring-tailed lemurs mentioned in recent reports were acquired in line with applicable laws and regulations.

It said Vantara is ready to help the authorities uncover the facts through DNA testing if needed. It also said the theft of lemurs from Gazipur Safari Park is a serious crime and that Vantara supports the Bangladeshi authorities' efforts to bring the culprits to justice.

The statement added that Vantara is not accused in the case and has so far received no notice or request from any investigating agency. It has no dealings with any person named in the reports, and every animal in its care is under the supervision of Indian law and the relevant authorities.

Vantara said the full records of the ring-tailed lemurs in its care are being submitted to the relevant authorities, and its independent governing board has been asked to examine them.

MKM Iqbal Hossain Chowdhury, divisional forest officer of the Dhaka Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Division, said: "We have seen Vantara's statement on Facebook. After the lemurs were stolen, first the DB police and then the CID investigated; an investigating agency is now working on it. We will cooperate with them in every way."

He said another lemur from the same family is at Gazipur Safari Park. Samples have been collected and sent to a laboratory to create its DNA profile, and the report will be handed to the CID as soon as it arrives.

On 6 August 2018, a male and a female lemur were recovered along with birds and animals of various species that were being smuggled to another country via Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. The two lemurs were handed over to Gazipur Safari Park, where they produced young.

After one lemur died, three remained at the park. On the night of 22 March 2025, the net of the lemur enclosure was cut and all three were stolen. A complaint was filed with the police on 24 March and a case was lodged on 6 April.

One lemur was later recovered in a raid in the capital's Shyambazar area and returned to the park. The police Criminal Investigation Department (CID) then began investigating to recover the stolen lemurs.

During the investigation the CID learnt that two of the three ring-tailed lemurs stolen from Gazipur Safari Park were believed to be at Vantara in Jamnagar, Gujarat. Media reports citing the CID said police believe the two lemurs changed hands several times after being smuggled across the border and were sold to Vantara for about 48 lakh rupees.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.