Chiyaan Vikram Posts Reel With Exotic Monkey, Deletes It After Enquiry Into Its Possession Begins

Chiyaan Vikram deleted an Instagram reel showing him with a Lar gibbon after reports of a Tamil Nadu Forest Department enquiry involving his daughter’s father-in-law, CK Ranganathan.

Chiyaan Vikram deletes Monkey video.

Source : Instagram

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Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

• Chiyaan Vikram deleted Instagram reel showing endangered Lar gibbon.
• Deletion followed Forest Department inquiry into animal's possession.
• Inquiry focuses on Vikram's daughter's father-in-law, CK Ranganathan.
• Activists question the gibbon's legal acquisition and required permits.

Chiyaan Vikram has removed an Instagram reel showing him cuddling and playing with an exotic monkey, shortly after reports emerged of a Tamil Nadu Forest Department enquiry involving his daughter's father-in-law. The video, shared on Sunday, featured Vikram with a Lar gibbon, an endangered species protected under international and Indian wildlife laws. According to a report by the Free Press Journal, businessman CK Ranganathan, Vikram's daughter's father-in-law, is facing questions over his alleged possession of the animal. Wildlife activists have also raised concerns about whether the gibbon was legally acquired and whether the required documents were available for its possession.

Chiyaan Vikram Deletes Monkey Reel

Vikram shared the video on Instagram on Sunday, showing him interacting closely with the monkey. The reel was removed around 24 hours later, after reports surfaced about an enquiry into the animal's possession. The Free Press Journal reported that the monkey was a Lar gibbon, a species classified as endangered and protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and India's Wildlife Protection Act.

கதாபாத்திரத்தில் உங்கள் திறமையை கண்டு வேடம் தான் உங்களிடம் போட்டி போடும் என்று பார்த்தால்
காட்டில் வாழும் செல்லப் பிராணிகளும் கூட சியான் உங்கள் குறும்புத்தனத்தையும் உங்கள் செல்ல நடிப்பையும் கண்டு உங்களே போலவே நடித்து உங்கள் ரசிகனாக மாரி நிற்கிறது... @chiyaan ❤️#Chiyaanvikram pic.twitter.com/E0gvQODQjS

— chiyan durai (@chiyandurai7813) August 9, 2026

According to the report, the animal was officially purchased by CK Ranganathan and brought from Manipur to Erode in Tamil Nadu in June. However, the circumstances surrounding its possession have prompted questions from wildlife activists.

Forest Department Enquiry Into Lar Gibbon

Wildlife activists have questioned whether the gibbon was being kept legally and whether the necessary permits and documents were in place. Some have also alleged that the animal could have been trafficked from Southeast Asia. These claims have not been confirmed by the Forest Department, with the matter still under investigation.

The report also stated that Chennai Wildlife Warden Yogen Kulala visited Ranganathan at his residence after Vikram removed the reel. He reportedly informed the businessman that an enquiry had been initiated and raised questions about the required clearance documents for keeping the animal.

Vikram has not publicly commented on the matter so far.

Who Is CK Ranganathan?

CK Ranganathan is the Founder-Chairman of CavinKare. He is also the father of Manu Ranjith, who is married to Vikram's daughter Akshita. This makes Ranganathan the actor's daughter's father-in-law. On the professional front, Vikram was most recently seen in director SU Arun Kumar's Veera Dheera Sooran. The actor has also announced upcoming projects with directors Anand Shankar and Bodi Rajkumar.

The two projects remain without further major updates, while the actor's deleted Instagram video has now become the subject of a wildlife-related enquiry.