Chennai, Aug 13: A video posted by actor Vikram and subsequently deleted, turned the spotlight on illegal possession and transfer of the endangered Lar Gibbons in Tamil Nadu prompting forest department officials to initiate action.
This small tree-dwelling ape – Lar Gibbon – are native to the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia. The forest officials have found that the animals were in the possession of a breeder and were transferred from Manipur to Erode and subsequently shifted to Chennai apparently apprehending action by the forest department.
Their fur colour ranges widely from black and dark brown to light cream of buff. They are said to be master acrobats. They are found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Laos and are not native to India.
The Lar Gibbon (Hylobates lar) is classified as endangered on the IUCN red list. Their wild population is shrinking due to habitat loss and illegal exotic pet trade, an official said. The infants are stolen from the wild and sold as ‘luxury’ pets.
In the video that became controversial, drawing backlash from wildlife activists, Vikram was seen cuddling the animal in a playful mood, triggering a probe by the state forest department officials into the legality of possessing the protected exotic primate. The video was later deleted from the social media.
According to an official, one among the three Lar Gibbons acquired by an Erode breeder had died and the department was not informed about the death. Erode district forest team visited the breeder’s farm on Tuesday and found two Lar Gibbons. One female Lar Gibbon had died and her death was not reported to the department. The cause of death and her age was immediately not known, he said.
As per the Living Animal Species (Reporting and Registration) Rules, 2024, the death of a registered animal should be reported along with a post mortem report issued by a veterinarian.
The case raised the issue of illegal transfers. Preliminary enquiry by the officials revealed that a male and two female Lar Gibbons were transferred from Manipur to Erode in June first week allegedly by Erode-based businessman S K Keshavanathan.
The animals were said to have been brought from Malaysia. They were later transferred to a farmhouse in Injambakkam in Chennai.
The transfer of a Schedule IV living animal must be reported and registered under Section 49 M of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, and no person could possess, transfer or breed such an animal except in conformity with the Act and the prescribed rules, he added.
Vikram’s inadvertent sharing of the video exposed unauthorised transfers and possession.
The officials are contemplating seizing the animals. Multiple teams from the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau are currently inspecting the Erode farm to enquire into the acquisition and transfers of the animals.
The investigation confirmed that a purchase application was filed on August 5, 2026, by a businessman, C K Ranganathan, and the approval for the transfer was still pending before the Chief Wildlife Warden.
Sources said the penalties under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and amended Act, for illegal possession, unauthorised transit or failure to register a Scheduled IV exotic animal can attract imprisonment of upto three years, financial penalty or both.
Failure to report the death of Lar Gibbons leads to specific prosecution as they are classified endangered species. (PTI)
