A video showing Tamil film star Vikram cuddling an endangered lar gibbon has prompted an investigation by Indian wildlife authorities into how the animal came into contact with the actor. The video, posted on Instagram on Monday and since deleted, showed Vikram hugging and playing with the gibbon.

Officials from Tamil Nadu's forest department are examining how the gibbon was kept at a private residence and whether legal procedures for possession and transfer were followed. The animal is reportedly housed at the home of a relative of Vikram in Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu.

Authorities have not yet determined if the gibbon was trafficked or if Vikram himself owned or imported the animal. A senior Tamil Nadu forest official, speaking anonymously to BBC Tamil, stated the gibbon was among eight lar gibbons—four males and four females—declared by a Manipur-based individual on the government’s PARIVESH portal in 2020.

However, investigators have not found documentation confirming that permission from Tamil Nadu's Chief Wildlife Warden was obtained to bring the animals into the state. According to the Forest Department's investigation, on 5 August, one male and one female gibbon were transferred from Perundurai to Vikram's relative in Chennai.

Importing exotic animals in India requires a permit from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), a no-objection certificate, and a wildlife conservator's certificate, as explained by an official named Dogra.

Vikram’s public relations officer, Yuvaraj, told BBC Tamil that the media would be informed if the actor issues a statement.

The lar gibbon is classified as a protected species and should only be handled as such under relevant agreements. An investigation is ongoing to determine the origin of the gibbon and whether it was brought into the country legally.

Sources