Indian actor's video with endangered gibbon sparks investigation

A video shared by Tamil Nadu actor Vikram, showing him interacting with an endangered gibbon, has prompted an investigation by Indian wildlife authorities into how he came into contact with the animal.

The award-winning actor, whose real name is Kennedy John Victor, posted a now-deleted video on Instagram on Monday, depicting him hugging and playing with a lar gibbon. The incident has led the state's forest department to launch an inquiry into the gibbon's presence at a private residence and whether regulations concerning its ownership and transfer were adhered to.

Authorities have not yet determined if the animal was trafficked, or if Vikram owned it or was involved in its entry into India. Vikram has not publicly addressed the matter. His public relations officer, Yuvaraj, informed BBC Tamil that the media would be notified if the actor released a statement.

Lar gibbons are small apes native to Southeast Asia, and their international trade is strictly regulated. Officials stated that the animal was being kept at the Chennai home of a relative of Vikram.

Rakesh Kumar Dogra, Tamil Nadu's Chief Wildlife Warden, told BBC Tamil that individuals are permitted to keep a lar gibbon if they possess the necessary legal permits and documentation. "An investigation is under way into where the lar gibbon came from. Only then can we say whether it was brought illegally," he explained.

The case has garnered national attention. Vikram is a prominent figure in Tamil cinema, India's popular Tamil-language film industry, with a career spanning over three decades known for his unconventional and physically demanding roles.

Lar gibbons are classified as endangered due to threats from habitat loss, hunting, and the illegal pet trade. These small apes, characterized by blonde or dark brown fur and a distinctive white ring around their faces, inhabit tropical forests in small family groups across parts of Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Myanmar, and Malaysia.

The species is protected under CITES, an international agreement that rigorously controls trade in endangered species. India has incorporated CITES protections into its wildlife laws, requiring individuals who keep such animals to register them with wildlife authorities and comply with rules governing their possession and transfer.

"To import exotic animals, it is necessary to submit a DGFT [Directorate General of Foreign Trade] permit and a no-objection certificate, and then a wildlife conservator's certificate," Dogra elaborated.

The controversy began on Monday when Vikram uploaded the video of himself with the lar gibbon on Instagram. The footage quickly circulated online, with some media outlets reporting the animal as the actor's new pet, before it was removed from his account within hours.

The short video has since led wildlife officials on an investigative path stretching over 2,000km to the northeastern state of Manipur. A senior Tamil Nadu forest official, speaking anonymously to BBC Tamil, revealed that the animal was among eight lar gibbons (four males and four females) declared on the government's PARIVESH portal in 2020 by a Manipur-based individual. PARIVESH is the official Indian platform for registering exotic animals and obtaining environmental, forest, and wildlife-related permissions. Records on the portal listed Malaysia as the animals' country of origin.

Records cited by the official indicate that on June 5 of this year, one male and two female lar gibbons were transferred from Manipur to a person in Perundurai, Erode district, Tamil Nadu, for adoption. However, investigators have yet to find documentation confirming that permission from Tamil Nadu's Chief Wildlife Warden was obtained for the animals' entry into the state.

Two months later, on August 5, one male and one female gibbon were transferred from Perundurai to Vikram's relative in Chennai, according to the Forest Department's investigation. Investigators are now working to establish the precise origins of the gibbons and verify that all necessary documentation was in place at each stage of their journey.

Wildlife activists have also raised concerns about the animals' initial entry into India. Manipur borders Myanmar, and India's northeast region has been identified as a route for the illegal trade in exotic wildlife, though authorities have not concluded that the gibbons in this case were trafficked.

The Tamil Nadu Forest Department is examining their documentation, including adherence to rules governing the international movement and possession of CITES-listed animals. India's Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), a federal agency investigating organized wildlife crime, has also become involved.

Thenmozhi, the WCCB's Southern Zone Deputy Director, informed BBC Tamil that the bureau has written to Chennai wildlife officials, requesting verification of documents and appropriate action. "The lar gibbon is classified as a protected species under this agreement. They should only be handled as protected animals," Thenmozhi stated, referring to CITES. The WCCB indicated that further action would depend on the findings of the ongoing investigation.

This case emerges amidst broader concerns about the illegal trade of exotic animals into India. In recent years, customs officials have repeatedly intercepted passengers arriving from Southeast Asia with live reptiles, birds, and primates hidden in their luggage. In July 2025, over 350 exotic animals from Bangkok were seized at Mumbai and Pune airports within a two-month period. Gibbons have also been part of such seizures; in November, customs officials in Bengaluru found one among exotic animals brought in by passengers from Bangkok. Chennai itself has experienced several similar incidents, including the seizure of 31 exotic animals, such as tortoises, iguanas, and snakes, from a passenger arriving from Bangkok in February of this year.