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Records cited by the official show that on 5 June this year, one male and two female lar gibbons were transferred from Manipur to a person in Perundurai in Tamil Nadu's Erode district. The stated purpose was adoption.
But investigators have not yet found documentation showing that permission from Tamil Nadu's Chief Wildlife Warden had been obtained for the animals to be brought into the state, the official said.
Two months later, on 5 August, 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 trying to establish the precise origins of the gibbons and whether the necessary documentation was in place at each stage of their journey.
Wildlife activists have also raised questions about how the animals originally entered India. Manipur borders Myanmar, and India's north-east has been flagged as a route for the illegal trade in exotic wildlife, although authorities have not concluded that the gibbons in this case were trafficked.
The Tamil Nadu Forest Department says it is examining their documentation, including whether rules governing the international movement and possession of CITES-listed animals were followed.
India's Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), a federal agency that investigates organised wildlife crime, has also become involved in the case.
Thenmozhi, the bureau's Southern Zone Deputy Director, told BBC Tamil that it had written to wildlife officials in Chennai asking them to verify documents and take appropriate action.
"The lar gibbon is classified as a protected species under this agreement. They should only be handled as protected animals," Thenmozhi said, referring to CITES.
The WCCB said further action would depend on what officials found during their investigation.
The case comes amid wider concern about illegal trade of exotic animals into India. In recent years, customs officials have repeatedly intercepted passengers arriving from south-east Asia with live reptiles, birds and primates concealed in their luggage.
In July 2025, more than 350 exotic animals, external from Bangkok were seized at Mumbai and Pune airports over a two-month period. Gibbons have also turned up in seizures: in November, customs officials in Bengaluru found, external one among exotic animals being brought in by passengers arriving from Bangkok.
Chennai itself has seen several such cases. In February this year, customs officials seized 31 exotic animals from a passenger arriving from Bangkok, including tortoises, iguanas and snakes.
