Earth Observation
地球觀察 地球観察

India

Wildlife investigation launched after Indian actor Vikram posts video with endangered lar gibbon

The Tamil Nadu Forest Department launched an investigation after Indian Tamil film actor Vikram posted an Instagram video showing him interacting with an endangered lar gibbon. Officials are examining the animal's origins and whether legal requirements governing its possession and transfer were followed. The investigation found that the gibbons concerned had previously been transferred from Manipur to Tamil Nadu, with one male and one female transferred from Erode district to the home of a relative of Vikram in Chennai on 5 August. India's Wildlife Crime Control Bureau has also asked local wildlife officials to verify the relevant documentation. Authorities have not concluded that the animal was trafficked into India, or that Vikram owned it or was involved in bringing it into the country.

Source: BBC News; The Indian Express