In brief
Actor Vikram from Tamil Nadu shared a video playing with a lar gibbon, an endangered ape, prompting a wildlife investigation. Officials are tracking the animal’s journey from Manipur, where it was declared on a government portal, to a private home in Chennai. The case has highlighted gaps in enforcement of CITES regulations and concerns over the illegal pet trade in India. The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau is also examining documentation while authorities interrogate whether all permits were secured. This incident underscores the broader challenge of protecting endangered species from poaching and smuggling.
A video posted by renowned Tamil film star Vikram showed him hugging and playing with a lar gibbon, a small endangered ape. The clip went viral and was deleted within hours, but its content has set off a formal inquiry by the Tamil Nadu Forest Department.
The department is tracing the animal’s chain of custody, beginning with a 2020 declaration that eight lar gibbons (four male and four female) had been registered in Manipur. Data from the PARIVESH portal link the animals to a merchant in Manipur who claimed they were transferred to Perundurai in Tamil Nadu for adoption.
Between June and August, two male and two female gibbons were moved from Perundurai to the home of Vikram’s relative in Chennai. Authorities have yet to confirm that a Chief Wildlife Warden permit was obtained for each transfer or that the animals met the requirement of an export‑import clearance under CITES and the Directorate General of Foreign Trade.
The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau has requested verification of documents and potential enforcement action. Sanction is not yet determined, pending the findings of the local forest officials and the WCCB’s review.
This case reflects a wider pattern of exotic animal seizures: in 2025, a surge of over 350 animals was intercepted at Mumbai and Pune airports; Chennai has also seen similar pickups from Bangkok. Many of these incidents involve reptiles, birds and primates concealed by travellers, illustrating a persistent route for illegal wildlife trade across the India‑Myanmar frontier.
The lar gibbon, native to Southeast Asia and listed as endangered, is protected both under national law and CITES. Proper documentation is mandatory for possession and transfer of such protected species. The investigation remains open and the outcome will set a precedent for future cases involving high‑profile figures and wildlife.
