Actor Vikram’s social media video of a frolicking session with a Lar Gibbon has naturally attracted attention because the diminutive lesser ape is globally endangered. In the video, which was later deleted, as reported by this newspaper, the film star is seen having fun with the primate that is found in the forests of Sumatra, Malaysia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Thailand. The IUCN Red List, the world’s scientific species database, says the animal is threatened and possibly extinct in one part of its range in Yunnan, China. A Lar Gibbon pet, even if it is legally imported or captive bred, is bound to attract scrutiny. Worldwide, assembling a menagerie of exotic species at home for private viewing has a long tradition. Royalty, the high, mighty, and wealthy in........

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