Actor Vikram has landed in controversy after a video of him cuddling an endangered Lar Gibbon went viral on social media. The Tamil Nadu Forest Department is now investigating how the animal reached him, while officials have also found that another gibbon had died without the death being reported.The matter has now become bigger after officials found that one of the three Lar Gibbons linked to an Erode-based breeder had died. The breeder had reportedly not informed the Forest Department about the death. The surviving two gibbons have since been moved back to Erode while the investigation is going on.
Forest officials find two Gibbons
Erode District Forest Officer Venkata Appala Naidu told The New Indian Express that a Forest Department team visited the breeder’s farm in Erode on Tuesday. Officials found two Lar Gibbons at the farm.During the inspection, the team was told that the third gibbon, which was a female, had died. Officials were reportedly not informed about the death earlier. They also did not immediately know the animal’s age or the reason for its death.Under the Living Animal Species (Reporting and Registration) Rules, 2024, the death of a registered animal has to be reported to the authorities. A post-mortem report from a veterinary practitioner is also required.The Forest Department is now checking the records and the chain of possession of the animals.
Surviving Gibbons moved back to Erode
The Lar Gibbon shown in Vikram’s deleted Instagram reel was reportedly among the animals transferred to businessman C K Ranganathan. He is the father of Vikram’s daughter Akshita’s husband.The transfer from Erode to Chennai was reportedly recorded as a purchase. A Form I dated August 5 named C K Ranganathan as the transferee.After Vikram’s video created controversy, the surviving pair of gibbons was moved back to Erode. The Forest Department has started an inquiry to understand how the animals reached Chennai and whether all the transfers followed the required rules.The case has also raised concerns among wildlife conservationists about the legal movement and ownership of exotic animals.