Videograb of actor Vikram with Lar Gibbon in his (now deleted) social media post
| Photo Credit: Instagram/@the_real_chiyaan
The Erode Forest Division has asked the owner of an animal breeding farm in Perundurai to produce the registration certificate and other documents relating to two Lar Gibbons (Hylobates lar) found at his facility during an inspection by officials of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), Chennai, and the Forest Department.K.V. Appala Naidu, District Forest Officer, Erode, told The Hindu the registration process for the animals was incomplete and the owner had been asked to produce the required documents on August 14. Though he had produced certain documents, there were some shortcomings. The documents sought included the registration certificate obtained by the Manipur-based owner from whom the animals were purchased, Mr. Naidu said. Details had also been sought regarding the death of a female Lar Gibbon that had not been reported to the authorities, as reporting such an incident is mandatory under the Living Animal Species (Reporting and Registration) Rules, 2024, he said.The inspection of the farm owned by K. Keshavanathan followed a video posted on social media by Tamil film actor Vikram in which he was seen petting and hugging a Lar Gibbon. The video went viral and drew criticism from wildlife activists over the possession of an endangered species without the requisite documents. The actor later removed the video. The Lar Gibbon is listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).What the probe foundThe inquiry revealed industrialist C.K. Ranganathan of Erode had purchased two Lar Gibbons from the farm owner and moved them to Chennai. Mr. Ranganathan is the father-in-law of Mr. Vikram’s daughter. Further inquiry revealed that the farm owner had purchased the animals from Manipur and brought them to Perundurai.Under the regulations governing exotic live species, an owner is required to register with the Forest Department, declare the stock in his possession, and report the acquisition of any new animal within 30 days. Only after the declaration is made will the facility be inspected by the Forest Department to verify compliance, following which a Form 3 Registration Certificate will be issued.The animals arrived at Perundurai on June 5, 2025. However, the owner applied for registration only on August 9, 2025, and transferred the animals to Chennai on the same day. “There was a delay of more than two months,” Mr. Naidu said.The DFO said the registration process remained incomplete and the Forest Department was examining the documents produced by the farm owner. Published - August 13, 2026 12:51 pm IST
