Inside the G20 Animal Farm

African wildlife policy must be led by African scientists and communities, not curated for private facilities an ocean away

- Michael Brian Lee

MAGA champion: Donald Trump's solution is to “permanently” ban immigration from all “Third World” countries.

Here we go again. Two National Guards are shot, and Donald Trump’s solution is to “permanently” ban immigration from all “Third World” countries.

Are we on that future list? Hard to be sure. But in the MAWA (Make America White Again) universe the criteria are simple: if your melanin matches the upholstery at Mara-Lago, you're ok. If not, please put your hands up and step away from the border.

While more people are being barred from entering the United States, India’s richest family is extending the opposite invitation, but to animals. Vantara, Anant Ambani’s vast private zoo, is collecting species the way other billionaires collect beachfront property.

You remember him: the groom whose wedding last year attracted everyone from Khloé Kardashian to Mike Tyson to Tony Blair, dutifully touring Vantara as if conservation comes with canapés.

Vantara presents itself as a grand act of compassion, an homage to Swami Vivekananda’ jeev seva, “caring for animals” as a spiritual principle. It claims to protect critically endangered species, restore habitats, and contribute meaningfully to global ecology.

Its model is reportedly Myrtle Beach Safari, another vanity zoo run by Doc Antle, who calls himself (in true swami fashion) Bhagavan Mahamayavi, meaning Lord of Illusions. You may remember Antle from his central role in the Netflix documentary Tiger King. Despite his name, Antle insists that his animal magic is 100% authentic.

The two operations are in vastly different solar systems. Myrtle Beach Safari has 100 animals on 50 acres. Vantara, which only opened in March this year, covers an area of 12 square kilometers (about 3000 acres) and claims to have more than 150,000 animals from more than 2000 species. It also claims a profusion of big cats: 70 lions, 56 cheetahs, 60 tigers and counting.