Human killings by tigers in Adilabad trigger fake videos on social media

A video of a tiger resting calmly on a tarred road was shared widely in WhatsApp groups on Wednesday and Thursday, triggering panic.

Kumram Bheem Asifabad: The recent animal-man conflict in the district, which saw a farmer being mauled to death by a wild animal, suspected to be a leopard or tiger, has now spurred several fake videos and photos on social media platforms, triggering fright among the rural public here.

A video of a tiger resting calmly on a tarred road was shared widely in WhatsApp groups on Wednesday and Thursday, triggering panic. Some of those who shared the video claimed the tiger was spotted on a road in Wankidi mandal, which was where an elderly tribal farmer Sidam Bheem was killed on Tuesday. Though it was a wild animal behind the attack, Forest officials are yet to confirm whether it was a tiger or leopard, with no pugmarks of a tiger being found on the spot.

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As for the video, Forest officials have denied that it was from Wankidi. Field staff working in Wankidi mandal and the patrolling wing too clarified that the video was not from the region.

“Apparently, some people pick up videos that went viral elsewhere in the country in the past and then recirculate the clips to derive pleasure and to get attention of the public,” a senior officer reasoned.

A photograph of a tiger, allegedly clicked by the driver of a lorry, purportedly at RK-5 underground mine in Srirampur of Mancherial on Wednesday night, too went viral on social media, triggering panic among coal miners and dwellers of surrounding colonies. However, Forest officials said they could not find any pugmarks of a tiger in the area.

The incidents have added pressure on the Forest officials, who, apart from facing criticism from the public following the human kill, now have to cross check the veracity of the videos and images of tigers too. “The unconfirmed videos and photos usually surface on the social media at night, terrorizing locals and annoying officials,” an official said.