Videograb of actor Vikram with Lar Gibbon in his (now deleted) social media publish
| Photograph Credit score: Instagram/@the_real_chiyaan
The Erode Forest Division has requested the proprietor of an animal breeding farm in Perundurai to provide the registration certificates and different paperwork relating to 2 Lar Gibbons (Hylobates lar) discovered at his facility throughout an inspection by officers of the Wildlife Crime Management Bureau (WCCB), Chennai, and the Forest Division.
Ok.V. Appala Naidu, District Forest Officer, Erode, instructed The Hindu the registration course of for the animals was incomplete and the proprietor had been requested to provide the required paperwork on August 14. Although he had produced sure paperwork, there have been some shortcomings. The paperwork sought included the registration certificates obtained by the Manipur-based proprietor from whom the animals have been bought, Mr. Naidu mentioned. Particulars had additionally been sought concerning the dying of a feminine Lar Gibbon that had not been reported to the authorities, as reporting such an incident is necessary underneath the Dwelling Animal Species (Reporting and Registration) Guidelines, 2024, he mentioned.
The inspection of the farm owned by Ok. Keshavanathan adopted a video posted on social media by Tamil movie 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 with out the requisite paperwork. The actor later eliminated the video. The Lar Gibbon is listed in Appendix I of the Conference on Worldwide Commerce in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
What the probe discovered
The inquiry revealed industrialist C.Ok. Ranganathan of Erode had bought two Lar Gibbons from the farm proprietor and moved them to Chennai. Mr. Ranganathan is the father-in-law of Mr. Vikram’s daughter. Additional inquiry revealed that the farm proprietor had bought the animals from Manipur and introduced them to Perundurai.
Beneath the rules governing unique reside species, an proprietor is required to register with the Forest Division, declare the inventory in his possession, and report the acquisition of any new animal inside 30 days. Solely after the declaration is made will the ability be inspected by the Forest Division to confirm compliance, following which a Kind 3 Registration Certificates might be issued.
The animals arrived at Perundurai on June 5, 2025. Nonetheless, the proprietor utilized for registration solely on August 9, 2025, and transferred the animals to Chennai on the identical day. “There was a delay of greater than two months,” Mr. Naidu mentioned.
The DFO mentioned the registration course of remained incomplete and the Forest Division was analyzing the paperwork produced by the farm proprietor.
Printed – August 13, 2026 12:51 pm IST
