Fake tiger video claiming to be from Adilabad forests goes viral, irks officials

A misleading video clip claiming tiger movement in Adilabad’s Khanapur forest has gone viral, causing fear among locals. Forest officials clarified the footage was shot in northern India and not linked to the region. They warned that such fake content disrupts public peace and complicates wildlife monitoring, especially during seasonal tiger migration from Maharashtra.

Adilabad: A fake video clip showing a tiger and falsely claiming it to be moving in the forests of Khanapur and other parts of erstwhile Adilabad district has been going viral on social media platforms over the past few days, drawing the ire of Forest officials.

Officials said the fake video had been widely circulated on WhatsApp groups and Facebook for the past week. “Locals are living in the grip of fear with the clip going viral on social media platforms. The clip was shot in certain northern states. It does not belong to a tiger moving in this region,” clarified Khanapur Forest Division Officer (FDO) Shiva Kumar.

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They added that such fake videos have become a growing headache for the department. These clips usually surface when tigers from neighbouring Maharashtra migrate to the region during winter in search of territory and mates. The sharing of unverified videos, officials said, disturbs public peace and forces the department to cross-check tiger movement unnecessarily.

“Sightings of tigers go up in certain parts of the district, particularly Adilabad and Kumram Bheem Asifabad. Pugmarks are often found in agricultural fields. News reports and photos of these pugmarks prompt some social media users to share fake videos to attract local attention,” another official observed.

Forest officials said they are now compelled to search for such videos on the internet and YouTube to verify their authenticity. They analyse the language used by people in the clips and the surrounding landscapes to determine whether the videos are genuine or fake.