Berlin – October 29, 2026 -- WELT TV will air the roughly 43-minute documentary "Vantara - Sein Herz für Tiere" ("Vantara - A Heart for Animals") for the first time on Sunday, 1 November 2026, at 14:50. The film goes inside an Indian rescue center where injured and formerly captive wildlife get a second chance.
One of its stories centers on the elephant Leelavati. She was left tied up when a circus tent caught fire, and burning debris fell on her body. She suffered severe burns but survived, and she now receives medical care at Vantara.
Three former German circus elephants now live in Gujarat
The film traces one story that begins in Germany. After decades of performing and traveling in a circus, the elephants could no longer stay there. Contact with Vantara came through the animal welfare groups PETA Deutschland and PETA India, and three of the former circus elephants now live at the center in the Indian state of Gujarat.
The move caused an early language hurdle. The elephants were used to German commands, so their new caretakers had to adapt.
Water pools and mud baths are part of medical rehabilitation
Vantara was founded on the initiative of Anant Ambani. The center in Jamnagar has specialized animal clinics, scientific laboratories and wildlife rehabilitation facilities.
Cameras go inside the elephant hospital, where veterinarians treat injuries, care for chronically ill animals and use modern diagnostic methods. Water pools relieve joints and muscles, mud baths help with skin care, and experienced keepers look after the animals' sensitive feet. According to the film, this is not a spa program but extensive medical rehabilitation.
An adult elephant can eat more than 100 kilograms a day
The documentary also visits the elephant kitchen. Age, illness and earlier strain determine what each animal is allowed to eat. German nutrition scientist Prof. Dr. Petra Wolf explains in the film how modern research and the traditional knowledge of experienced keepers work together.
The crew also follows scientists into laboratories that examine blood samples, tissue and genetic material. That work covers the health of individual animals and the future of endangered species.
Viewers also meet tigers, leopards and giraffes. The film describes a particularly difficult goal as well: preparing animals that are capable of it for a life in freedom.