Fact Check

Fact Check: Viral Video of Lion Sniffing Sleeping Man in India Is AI-Generated

Recently, there has been an increase in the number of Asiatic lions in India, which marks a major success in wildlife

By 9 Jun 2025 7:39 PM IST
Lion sniffing man

  • Claim :

    Viral video shows lion sniffing man sleeping on a street in India and walked away

  • Fact :

    The video is an AI-generated video, not a real one

Recently, there has been an increase in the number of Asiatic lions in India, which marks a major success in wildlife conservation. The latest census in the Gir forests in Gujarat shows that the numbers rose from 674 in 2020 to 891 in 2025. But the numbers also raise concerns. Only 56% of Gujarat’s 891 lions are residents in forested areas. As many as 507 live in revenue areas and lion corridors outside the habitat areas. The non-forest areas are close to human habitations and are not suited for large carnivores like lions. There have been cases of conflict, and lions have died of electrocution and drowning or have been shot in self-defence. The number of lions in the area is too high, creating problems for both the animals and the humans.

Meanwhile, a video shows a lion walking down a street and smelling a man sleeping on the road, and walking away. Several social media users shared this video with different captions, calling it a miracle, and some wondered why the lion chose not to attack the person sleeping. Many users shared this video, claiming that the incident took place in India.

Some users shared the video with caption "A chilling moment caught on camera — a man sleeping on a footpath in India narrowly escapes a lion attack. The lion walks up to him, sniffs..."

Others shared it with caption "Dangerous Video: Night Street Tiger #tiger #night #dangerous #street"

While others shared it implying that the incident took place in India "भारत में सड़क पर सो रहा एक व्यक्ति शेर का शिकार होने से बच गया, जब शेर उसके पास आया, उसे सूंघा और फिर वहां से चला गया।" बेशक! जब तक ज़िंदगी लिखी है, कोई कुछ नहीं बिगाड़ सकता...!!


खुले आसमान के नीचे सो रहे युवक के पास आ पहुंचा शेर, वीडियो हुआ वायरल

Here is the archive link of the claim.

Fact check:

The claim is false. The viral video does not show a real incident. It is an AI-generated video. When we observed the video carefully, we found some discrepancies in the video, like the signboards being distorted and unnatural. The mattress does not show any indentation when the lion steps on it. The sleeping person’s legs look abnormal.
When we extracted keyframes from the video and searched them using Google reverse image search, we found a tweet shared by IFS officer Parveen Kaswan with the caption: “This video showing a lion sniffing a human has around 7 million views. This is an AI-generated video. Imagine how AI can be used to confuse people. And now imagine AI is still at a nascent stage !!”
Upon further search, we found a short video shared by a YouTube channel named @Theworldofbeasts, where the viral video was posted on June 6, 2025, with the title “Leão encontra homem dormindo na rua em Gujarat!!!” When translated, it states “Lion finds man sleeping on the street in Gujarat!!” The description of the video also states that the video contains synthetic or altered media. “Altered or synthetic content. Sound or visuals were significantly edited or digitally generated.”
When we checked other videos on this channel, we found that many other AI-generated videos are published here. Here are the links to some of the videos:

The bio of the YouTube channel also states that the videos are designed by using AI technology.

Therefore, a video generated using AI technology is shared virally as a real incident where a lion walking down the street sniffs a man sleeping on the road and walks away without harming him in India. The claim is false, and the video is an AI-generated video.
Claim :   Viral video shows lion sniffing man sleeping on a street in India and walked away
Claimed By :  Social media users
Claim Reviewed By :  Telugupost Fact Check
Claim Source :  Social media
Fact Check :  False
News Summary - lion sniffing a man sleeping
Subhash

Satya Priya BN

Satya Priya BN is a seasoned Content and Digital Manager with over 7 years of experience in press, electronic, and digital media. A trained fact checker with 4+ years of experience, she has worked with organizations like Newsmeter.in, BBC World Service, and Telugupost.com. Satya is also a Google News Initiative and BBC Young Reporter India trainer, specializing in fact-checking, misinformation, and media literacy. She has led workshops for journalists, media students, and school communities, and co-authored a Telugu-language fact-check manual. Currently, she serves as the Fact Check Lead at Telugupost.com.
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