Indian wildlife officials have opened an investigation after Tamil film actor Vikram posted, then deleted, a video of himself playing with a lar gibbon — a species listed as endangered and protected under international trade rules — at a private home in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
Tamil film star Vikram's gibbon video prompts Indian wildlife investigation
Indian wildlife officials have opened an investigation after Tamil film actor Vikram posted, then deleted, a video of himself playing with a lar gibbon — a species listed as endangered and protected under international trade rules — at a private home in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
The video appeared on Vikram's Instagram account on Monday and was deleted within hours, but had spread widely online before its removal. Some media reports described the animal as the actor's new pet. Tamil Nadu's forest department subsequently began examining how the gibbon came to be at the home of a relative of Vikram in Chennai and whether the permits and documentation required by law were in place.
Investigators traced the animal through government records more than 2,000 kilometres to the north-eastern state of Manipur. A senior Tamil Nadu forest official, speaking to BBC Tamil on condition of anonymity, said the gibbon was among eight lar gibbons — four males and four females — that a Manipur-based man had declared on India's PARIVESH portal in 2020, with Malaysia listed as their country of origin.
According to records cited by that official, three gibbons — one male and two females — were transferred from Manipur to a person in Perundurai in Tamil Nadu's Erode district on 5 June, with adoption listed as the stated purpose. On 5 August, one male and one female gibbon were transferred from Perundurai to Vikram's relative in Chennai. Investigators have not yet found documentation showing that the required permission from Tamil Nadu's Chief Wildlife Warden had been obtained for the animals to enter the state.
Lar gibbons are small apes found across parts of south-east Asia, including Thailand, Myanmar and Malaysia. They are listed as endangered and are protected under CITES, an international agreement tightly restricting trade in endangered species. India has incorporated CITES protections into its domestic wildlife laws, requiring that people keeping such animals register them with wildlife authorities and comply with rules governing their possession and transfer.
The case has drawn attention to broader concerns about exotic animal trafficking into India. In July 2025, more than 350 exotic animals from Bangkok were seized at Mumbai and Pune airports over a two-month period. In November, customs officials in Bengaluru found a gibbon among exotic animals brought in by passengers arriving from Bangkok. In February this year, customs officials in Chennai seized 31 exotic animals from a passenger arriving from Bangkok, including tortoises, iguanas and snakes.
- The source does not state whether Vikram owned the gibbon or had any role in acquiring or transferring it.
- The source does not establish how the eight lar gibbons originally entered India or whether the Manipur-based man who declared them obtained them legally.
- The source does not state what documentation, if any, the person in Perundurai or Vikram's relative holds regarding the gibbons.
- The source does not state what penalties could apply if investigators find the rules were violated.
- The source does not identify the Manipur-based man or the recipient in Perundurai by name.
- Vikram has not commented on the matter, and no statement from his relative in Chennai is included in the source.
Read the original at BBC World