Vikram provides written clarification to forest dept
In the aftermath of the reel posted and later deleted by actor Vikram, in which he was seen with a lar gibbon, the state forest department has launched a major in- quiry into wildlife trafficking and the exotic pet trade in the state.Official paperwork indicates the primate originated in Malaysia. The animal, along with two others of its ilk, is alleged to have been smuggled or transferred through Manipur, moved to Erode based breeder, SK Kes- havanathan, and finally brought to Chennai. Authorities have reportedly raided the breeder’s farm in Perundurai, near Erode, and are continuing to investigate the ori- gins of the exotic animals on the farm. While there are reports that the department has sent notices to Vikram, a source close to the actor shared that neither he nor his relative CK Ranganathan owns or has claimed ownership of the primate, or kept it in their possession. “Both have already given written clarifications to the Forest Department on this issue. The rest is being looked into by the authorities,” the source said.
