Records cited by the authoritative amusement that connected 5 June this year, 1 antheral and 2 pistillate lar gibbons were transferred from Manipur to a idiosyncratic successful Perundurai successful Tamil Nadu's Erode district. The stated intent was adoption.
But investigators person not yet recovered documentation showing that support from Tamil Nadu's Chief Wildlife Warden had been obtained for the animals to beryllium brought into the state, the authoritative said.
Two months later, connected 5 August, 1 antheral and 1 pistillate gibbon were transferred from Perundurai to Vikram's comparative successful Chennai, according to the Forest Department's investigation.
Investigators are present trying to found the precise origins of the gibbons and whether the indispensable documentation was successful spot astatine each signifier of their journey.
Wildlife activists person besides raised questions astir however the animals primitively entered India. Manipur borders Myanmar, and India's north-east has been flagged arsenic a way for the amerciable commercialized successful exotic wildlife, though authorities person not concluded that the gibbons successful this lawsuit were trafficked.
The Tamil Nadu Forest Department says it is examining their documentation, including whether rules governing the planetary question and possession of CITES-listed animals were followed.
India's Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), a national bureau that investigates organised wildlife crime, has besides go progressive successful the case.
Thenmozhi, the bureau's Southern Zone Deputy Director, told BBC Tamil that it had written to wildlife officials successful Chennai asking them to verify documents and instrumentality due action.
"The lar gibbon is classified arsenic a protected taxon nether this agreement. They should lone beryllium handled arsenic protected animals," Thenmozhi said, referring to CITES.
The WCCB said further enactment would beryllium connected what officials recovered during their investigation.
The lawsuit comes amid wider interest astir amerciable commercialized of exotic animals into India. In caller years, customs officials person repeatedly intercepted passengers arriving from south-east Asia with unrecorded reptiles, birds and primates concealed successful their luggage.
In July 2025, much than 350 exotic animals, external from Bangkok were seized astatine Mumbai and Pune airports implicit a two-month period. Gibbons person besides turned up successful seizures: successful November, customs officials successful Bengaluru found, external 1 among exotic animals being brought successful by passengers arriving from Bangkok.
Chennai itself has seen respective specified cases. In February this year, customs officials seized 31 exotic animals from a rider arriving from Bangkok, including tortoises, iguanas and snakes.
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