Tamil film star Chiyaan Vikram has drawn scrutiny from wildlife authorities after sharing a now-deleted video showing him with a protected lar gibbon. Officials are investigating the animal's origin and whether proper legal documentation was followed.
Indian actor Chiyaan Vikram came under scrutiny after posting a video on Instagram showing him playing with a lar gibbon, an endangered species protected under international wildlife regulations. The video was deleted within hours, but triggered investigations by Tamil Nadu's forest department and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) into how the animal came to be at a private residence in Chennai.
According to the investigation, the gibbon was traced to a Manipur-based individual who registered eight lar gibbons on India's PARIVESH portal in 2020, listing Malaysia as their country of origin. Records show that in June, three of these gibbons were transferred from Manipur to Perundurai in Tamil Nadu's Erode district, and subsequently one male and one female were transferred to a relative of Vikram in Chennai on August 5. Investigators are now examining whether proper documentation and permissions were obtained at each stage of the animal's movement, particularly whether the Chief Wildlife Warden's approval was secured for interstate transfer.
Tamil Nadu's Chief Wildlife Warden Rakesh Kumar Dogra told BBC Tamil that keeping a lar gibbon is legal if individuals have required permits and documentation. However, officials have not yet verified whether such permissions existed in this case. The WCCB has written to Chennai wildlife officials requesting verification of documents and appropriate action.
Lar gibbons, small apes native to Southeast Asia, are listed as endangered and protected under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species). Vikram has not publicly commented on the controversy. Officials have not concluded whether the animal was trafficked or whether Vikram himself owned it, emphasizing that their investigation is ongoing.
