Vikram has been embroiled in a Lar Gibbon controversy after his now-deleted Instagram reel showing him cuddling one of the endangered animals got the attention of the Tamil Nadu Forest Department. The case has since deepened, with officials discovering that one of the three Lar Gibbons acquired by an Erode-based breeder had died without the department being informed. The news has raised questions over the animals’ chain of possession, their transfer from Manipur to Erode and how it landed with Vikram in Chennai Meanwhile, the surviving pair has reportedly been moved back to Erode amid investigation.
Vikram Lar Gibbon Row Deepens After One Animal Dies Unreported; Surviving Pair Returned To Erode
A day after video with the exotic animal went viral, officials have begun examining the events surrounding the animals, while wildlife conservationists have questioned whether the transfers were carried out in accordance with the law. The surviving gibbons have since been moved back to Erode amid the ongoing inquiry. 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 and found two Lar Gibbons. During the probe, officials were informed that the third, a female gibbon, had died.
Vikram Deletes Exotic Animal Reel After Tamil Nadu Forest Department Probe
The breeder had not informed the Forest Department about the death. Officials also did not immediately know the animal’s age or the cause of its death Under the Living Animal Species (Reporting and Registration) Rules, 2024, the death of a registered animal must be reported to the authorities along with a post-mortem report issued by a veterinary practitioner.
Did Vikram Acquire The Lar Gibbon?
Vikram’s deleted Instagram reel showed him cuddling a young Lar Gibbon, an endangered species native to parts of Southeast Asia. The animal was reportedly among those transferred to CK Ranganathan, who is the father of Vikram’s daughter husband. The Forest Department has initiated an inquiry into the matter.
Vikram at his daughter’s wedding along with Groom’s Father CK Ranganathan
Documents reportedly show that three Lar Gibbons, comprising one male and two females, were transferred from Manipur to Erode-based dealer S K Keshavanathan in June. Records also indicate that eight Lar Gibbons had been declared in 2020 by Laikhuram Singh under the exotic live species stock declaration through the Parivesh portal, with Malaysia listed as their origin. The subsequent transfer from Erode to Chennai was recorded as a purchase, with a Form I dated August 5 naming businessman C K Ranganathan as the transferee. Following the controversy over Vikram’s video, the surviving gibbons were moved back to Erode.