{
  "id": 944603,
  "title": "Wildlife Belongs To The Wild, Not To Celebrities To Show Off",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/15/wildlife-belongs-to-the-wild-not-to-celebrities-to-show-off",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-15T03:22:35.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/wildlife-belongs-to-the-wild-not-to-celebrities-to-show-off"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Actor Vikram recently posted a video of himself playing with a Lar Gibbon, a primate species that is endangered worldwide. The video, which has since been removed, depicted the actor having fun with the primate native to Sumatra, Malaysia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Thailand. According to the IUCN Red List, the animal is threatened and possibly extinct in one region of its range in Yunnan, China. While it is possible for a Lar Gibbon to be legally imported or captive bred, such a pet is likely to draw attention from authorities.\n\nThe practice of keeping exotic species as private pets has a long history among royalty, the elite, and wealthy individuals worldwide. In India, many people have developed an interest in keeping exotic birds and primates, including gibbons, parrots, macaws, cockatoos, and snakes. Unfortunately, the smuggling of wildlife through Indian airports has become a problem, with Chennai being a major transit point for imports from Thailand and Malaysia. Corruption in customs has facilitated this illicit trade, providing funding for illegal activities.\n\nThe Environment Ministry needs to enhance its surveillance along the land border in the northeast, where wildlife smuggling is prevalent. The sale of wildlife misdeclared as captive-bred should be closely monitored, as many exotic animals are also being sold on social media platforms. India's credibility on wildlife imports is questionable, and the country has not complied with the recommendation from CITES, the treaty governing such imports. Despite diplomatic influence preventing the recommendation from being accepted at a summit in Uzbekistan last year, Indian courts have supported the government's stance on animal imports.\n\nAlthough it may be difficult to police land borders in insurgency-prone states, enforcing legal provisions on the sale and possession of protected wildlife should be feasible. Additionally, garnering support from both influential personalities and the general public for national parks and sanctuaries can help prevent the loss of native wildlife. The Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary in Assam, which houses India's only ape, the Hoolock Gibbon, is threatened by fragmentation due to a rail line and human activities. Similarly, Great Nicobar's lesser-known species face the risk of deforestation and decline. Experiencing gibbons should be limited to their natural habitats.",
  "summary": "Actor Vikram’s social media video of a frolicking session with a Lar Gibbon has naturally attracted attention because the diminutive lesser ape is globally endangered. In the video, which was later deleted, as reported by this newspaper, the film star is seen having fun with the primate that is found in the forests of Sumatra, Malaysia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Thailand. The IUCN Red List, the…",
  "key_points": [
    "Actor Vikram posted video of playing with endangered Lar Gibbon.",
    "Lar Gibbon threatened and possibly extinct in Yunnan, China.",
    "Wildlife smuggling through Indian airports is a major concern."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}