A social media video featuring Tamil actor Chiyaan Vikram with a Lar Gibbon has turned into a wider wildlife investigation, with the Tamil Nadu Forest Department examining the animal’s ownership, documentation and movement from Manipur to Chennai. The probe has also taken a more serious turn after officials found that one of three gibbons linked to an Erode-based breeder had died without the death being reported to authorities.
The controversy began after Vikram posted an Instagram video showing him playing with and hugging a Lar Gibbon at a private residence in Injambakkam, Chennai. The video was later deleted, but it quickly spread online and prompted wildlife activists to question why an endangered primate was being kept in a private setting and whether its possession and transfer complied with Indian wildlife regulations.
The Forest Department has now begun tracing the animal’s chain of possession. Officials are seeking ownership certificates and other documents from people associated with the gibbons to establish where they came from, how they were transferred and whether the necessary permissions were obtained.
Chief Wildlife Warden Rakesh Kumar Dogra said officials were examining the circumstances under which the Lar Gibbon reached Chennai and whether statutory requirements governing its possession and transfer had been followed. Chennai Wildlife Warden Yogesh Kulal has also confirmed that the animal featured in Vikram’s video was moved from the Injambakkam residence to Erode.
The latest development came after a Forest Department team visited an Erode-based breeder’s farm on Tuesday. Officials found two Lar Gibbons there and were informed that a third, a female, had died. According to the department, the death had not been reported earlier. Officials were also initially unable to establish the animal’s age or the precise cause of death.
Under the Living Animal Species (Reporting and Registration) Rules, 2024, the death of a registered exotic animal has to be reported to authorities. A veterinary post-mortem report is also required. The Forest Department is therefore examining the relevant records as part of its investigation.
The two surviving gibbons have since been moved back to Erode. Officials are checking whether their transfer from Erode to Chennai followed the required procedures. According to reports, the transfer to businessman C K Ranganathan was recorded as a purchase, with a Form I dated August 5 identifying him as the transferee. Ranganathan is related to Vikram through his daughter Akshita’s marriage.
The investigation is also examining an earlier ownership trail. Records cited by reports indicate that Lar Gibbons had been declared in Manipur by stockholder Laikhuram Singh in 2020 under the declaration system for exotic live species through PARIVESH. The records listed Malaysia as their country of origin. Another reported trail places the animals with SK Keshavanathan in Erode before their transfer to Chennai.
The Lar Gibbon, scientifically known as Hylobates lar, is native to parts of Southeast Asia. It is listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES, which provides the species with the highest level of international protection. In India, the species is also classified under Schedule IV of the amended Wildlife Protection Act.
Its presence in a private residence has therefore raised questions beyond celebrity social media activity. International movement of a Lar Gibbon requires appropriate CITES import and export permissions, along with relevant documentation and approval from the authorities concerned. The Forest Department is now checking whether those requirements were met in this case.
Wildlife conservationists have also highlighted the larger concern surrounding the exotic pet trade. Gibbon infants are particularly vulnerable to illegal trafficking because of demand for unusual pets. Conservationists have warned that capturing a young gibbon can involve the killing of its mother, and in some cases entire family groups may be targeted by poachers.
The issue is particularly significant because India has faced growing concerns over the illegal trade in exotic primates. Previous investigations have identified routes connecting Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia and Thailand with Indian cities, including Chennai, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
For now, the Forest Department has not established that Vikram personally owned the gibbon or that he violated wildlife laws. The investigation is focused on tracing the animal’s ownership and transfer history and determining whether all required documents and procedures were followed.
The viral video has nevertheless brought renewed attention to the often-hidden world of exotic animal ownership. What appeared online as a light-hearted interaction between a film star and a primate has now prompted authorities to examine a chain of possession involving multiple individuals and locations.
