Tamil Nadu to Manipur to Malaysia: Vikram’s viral Lar Gibbon video leads forest dept down a long trail
The viral video of actor Vikram interacting with a Lar Gibbon, a small endangered ape, sparked widespread outrage and led to the Tamil Nadu Forest Department delving into the animal's origin. The gibbon, native to Southeast Asia and classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, is protected under CITES and Schedule IV of the Wildlife (Protection) Act in India.
The investigation began when records showed the gibbon was originally declared in Manipur in 2020 by stockholder Laikhuram Singh, with the animals originating from Malaysia. After being transferred to Erode in 2026, the gibbon allegedly ended up in Vikram's Chennai residence. Officials are scrutinizing the documentation and transactions surrounding the gibbon's journey, questioning whether the animal's import and possession complied with legal regulations.
They also aim to determine whether the gibbon seen in Vikram's video was one of the eight declared by Singh or was a separate individual.
Written by urgent.news from The Indian Express - India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
