After news broke recently that a skier in China had been mauled by a snow leopard after she approached it for a photo—and that the smiling selfie circulating online later turned out to be fake—I thought about how easily images shape our understanding of wildlife. I was reminded of that story while reading Sean Mowbray’s Mongabay piece on the rise of AI-generated wildlife images and videos, many of which depict animals behaving aggressively and unnaturally. This content spreads misinformation, creates fear and panic, reinforces myths about predators, and undermines already-struggling conservation efforts. AI has become a powerful tool in conservation and biology, but Mowbray points to a growing tension: When fake images circulate faster than truth, they can distort our relationship with the natural world, turning animals into villains and leaving real wildlife to deal with the consequences.
Another video showed a leopard chasing a train and hauling a passenger off. When a forest officer from Sanjay Dubri Tiger Reserve debunked the video, he noted that a leopard couldn’t run fast enough to catch a moving train.
In an even more troubling instance, a fake video styled as CCTV footage showed a tiger attacking and dragging off a man in India. A similar video showing a tiger attack in Russia resulted in an arrest: The creator was charged with deliberately distributing misleading content that could provoke public alarm and faces a fine of up to 100,000 rubles (about $1,300).
More picks about wildlife
TikTok Is Obsessed With Talking Parrots. It’s Fueling a Global Black Market.
“A yearlong investigation into the African-grey trade reveals a web of poachers, egg smugglers, wealthy businessmen — and multitudes who want a talking bird.”
Inside the Audacious Mission to Bring a Rare Toad Back From the Brink
“The amphibian ‘IVF clinic’ fighting to save the first amphibian ever afforded federal protections.”
Uncaged
“As wildlife advocates fight to free the last captives of Vietnam’s bile farms, rescued bears find dignity in the country’s sanctuaries.”
The Menagerie Lurking in Rural America
“Not far from my Ohio hometown, a notorious tragedy shook America. Years later, its legacy lives and breathes—and occasionally runs away.”
The Wild Within the Walls
“From antiquity to modern times, Rome has been entangled with the wild animals who creep, slither, scurry, and nest among its pillars and palaces.”
Rewriting the Relationship Between Elephant and Keeper
“In Thailand, elephant welfare is often pitted against Thai culture and history. One Indigenous elephant keeper offers a glimpse of a third way.”
