Indian wildlife authorities have launched an investigation following the release of a video showing acclaimed Tamil cinema actor Vikram interacting with an endangered lar gibbon at a private residence in Chennai. The footage, which was posted to Instagram on Monday and subsequently deleted within hours, prompted immediate scrutiny from state forest officials regarding the animal’s presence and the legal compliance surrounding its possession and care.
Lar gibbons are small apes native to south-east Asia whose populations are classified as endangered due to habitat loss, hunting, and illegal trafficking. The species is protected under CITES, an international treaty that strictly regulates trade in endangered animals. India has incorporated these protections into its domestic wildlife legislation, requiring individuals who keep such animals to register them with authorities and adhere to specific possession and transfer regulations.
According to investigators’ findings, the gibbon in question was being housed at the residence of a relative of Vikram in Chennai. Officials have traced the animal’s documented journey through government records, identifying a trail beginning with a Manipur-based individual who registered eight lar gibbons on India’s PARIVESH portal in 2020, citing Malaysia as their country of origin. Subsequently, records show gibbons were transferred from Manipur to Tamil Nadu’s Erode district on 5 June, with a stated purpose of adoption, followed by another transfer to Chennai on 5 August.
State and federal wildlife authorities are examining documentation at each stage of the animal’s movement to determine whether all necessary permits and certifications were obtained. Officials have not yet concluded that the gibbon was illegally trafficked or that Vikram was involved in its importation, though investigators are working to verify the animal’s precise origins and the legality of its possession at each location along its journey.
The incident occurs within a broader context of concerns regarding exotic animal trafficking into India. Customs officials have increasingly intercepted live primates, reptiles, and birds being smuggled through airports in recent years, with Chennai and other major cities experiencing multiple seizures of illegally imported exotic animals from south-east Asian countries.
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