Tamil Actor’s Video of Gibbon Sparks Wildlife Investigation

Sun Sep 06 2026 04:03:23 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

An Instagram clip of actor Vikram with a gibbon has prompted a probe into the animal’s source and legality.

Actor Vikram, a well-known star in Tamil cinema, posted a short video showing him cuddling a lar gibbon—an endangered ape. The clip went viral and prompted Tamil Nadu wildlife officials to investigate how the animal entered private property. Authorities have traced the gibbon back to a man in Manipur who had recorded the animal on a national wildlife registry in 2020. Investigations are ongoing to confirm that the necessary permits and documentation for a CITES-listed species were obtained before the animal was transported to Chennai. The case highlights growing concerns about illegal exotic animal trade into India.

Actor Vikram, famed in Tamil cinema, posted a short video on Instagram showing himself hugging a lar gibbon, a small ape native to Southeast Asia. <\/p>

The clip was deleted within hours but had already spread widely online, sparking questions over how the endangered animal ended up in a private home. <\/p>

Tamil Nadu forest officials began an investigation into whether the gibbon was brought into the state with the proper permits required under CITES, India's wildlife protection laws. <\/p>

Records show the animal was part of a group declared on a national wildlife registration portal by a Manipur resident in 2020, after which it was transferred to a relative of Vikram in Chennai in August. <\/p>

The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau has joined the probe, reviewing the documentation for each stage of the gibbon’s movement and the legality of its possession. <\/p>

This incident occurs against a backdrop of rising alerts about illegal exotic animal trade in India, with recent seizures of reptiles, birds and primates at airports on flights from Southeast Asia. <\/p>

So far, authorities have not established that the gibbon was trafficked, but they are scrutinising the chain of custody and whether all rules for import, transfer and ownership were followed. <\/p>

Vikram has yet to issue a statement, and his representative said any commentary would be released only if it was provided in due course. <\/p>