Bangladesh has reported that two stolen lemurs, originally taken from the Gazipur Safari Park in March 2025, have been sent to a private zoo in India. Authorities are now working with Interpol to recover the animals and return them to Bangladesh. The lemurs were part of a group of three that were stolen using the help of a security guard and a border official, and then smuggled across the Darshana border into India. They were later sold for nearly Rs4.8 million in the western Indian city of Jamnagar, reportedly to an institution linked to the Vantara wildlife centre. The animals were initially brought into Bangladesh in 2018 under false customs declarations and were later rescued and placed at the Gazipur Safari Park. The theft and smuggling were uncovered after images of the lemurs appeared on social media at Vantara, prompting Bangladeshi authorities to take action. Vantara is a large private zoo in Gujarat, India, run by the Radhe Krishna Temple Elephant Welfare Trust, which is supported by Reliance, a major business group owned by billionaire Mukesh Ambani. The zoo was inaugurated in March 2025 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reflecting the close ties between the Ambani family and the Indian government. To confirm the identity of the animals, Bangladeshi officials are now trying to DNA-profile a juvenile lemur still in their possession to see if it is related to the two in India. However, the process has been hindered by the lack of microchips, unique identification numbers, or stored DNA profiles for the trafficked lemurs. This has made it difficult to verify their origins and ensure their safe return. Animal rights organizations have raised concerns about Vantara’s role in conservation, citing a lack of transparency in how the zoo acquires its animals and questioning the impact of transferring rare species from public zoos in states like Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh to private facilities. Vantara has denied these allegations, calling them "entirely false and baseless." Despite the controversy, the case highlights the ongoing challenges of protecting wildlife from illegal trade and ensuring their proper care and conservation.