Chennai: The Forest Department has begun tracing a man from Manipur in connection with a rare ‘lar gibbon’ monkey that appeared in a recent video featuring actor Vikram. The species, found in parts of Southeast Asia, is not permitted to be kept as a pet, prompting questions and an official inquiry.
During the probe, officials found that the video was shot at a farmhouse linked to Vikram’s relative, businessman C.K. Ranganathan. When a Forest Department team visited Ranganathan’s residence in Injambakkam, the lar gibbon was not found there.
According to the businessman’s side, the monkey had been returned to Keshavanathan of Perundurai in Erode district, who had allegedly supplied it. Officials then inspected Keshavanathan’s farmhouse and learned that he had bought three monkeys a few years ago from a person named Laikuram from Manipur; one had died, and two were present at the site. Officials also found that Keshavanathan did not have any certificate to keep the animals.
The department initially planned to seize the monkeys and move them to the rehabilitation centre at Vandalur. However, the seizure has been temporarily paused after senior officials directed the team to first verify details about the seller from Manipur.
Wildlife enthusiasts have criticised the delay, alleging that clear violations—keeping, displaying and moving a prohibited species without required permissions—have not been acted upon. A senior Forest Department official said the inquiry will focus on whether the Manipur-based seller has documents, adding that if the animals were brought in before 2021, the matter could be closed by obtaining a declaration, as new rules came into force only after 2021.
