A social media video posted by actor Vikram showing a lar gibbon baby has sparked controversy and brought an alleged illegal wildlife trade to the fore. During inquiries, officials found that the baby gibbon was sourced from a private farm in Perundurai, Erode.
Forest department officials have begun an investigation to seize the animals from the farm. They also found that another lar gibbon baby at the same facility had died, and that the death was not reported to the department.
According to officials, the farm owner, Kesavanathan, has not produced documents for lar gibbons said to have been obtained from Manipur in June this year. The department issued a notice seeking clarification and gave a day’s time to submit certificates, but officials said the responses received were inconsistent.
In the preliminary probe, officials said the animals appeared to be trafficked and that seizures would be carried out within a couple of days. During inspection, they also found several other rare birds, mammals and reptiles, and noted discrepancies between farm registers and data posted online.
Nature enthusiasts have urged a deeper probe into long-pending permissions and repeated movement of animals. Meanwhile, the farm owner’s relative Ranganathan’s side claimed the monkeys were brought from Erode for sale; he is described as a close relative of DMK leader Stalin’s family, prompting questions over whether the case is being delayed due to the prominence of those involved.
