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Viral Supermarket Lion Video Exposed as AI-Generated

The revelation underscores growing risks of misinformation by demonstrating how AI tools can produce convincing wildlife scenes.

Screenshot taken on June 17, 2025, of the AI-generated video on TikTok, with the caption and disclaimer highlighted
Screenshot of the TikTok account, taken on June 17, 2025
Viral video of lion entering store is AI-generated. | Image: X/Screengrab
Image

Overview

  • TikTok user '@ataquesferoz' posted the 70-second video on June 14 with a caption claiming a lion stormed into a South African grocery store.
  • Fact-checkers identified AI artifacts like disappearing tails and extra limbs, leading AFP and Times Now on June 18 to confirm the footage was fabricated.
  • The video quickly went viral, racking up over 1.8 million likes and a million views across TikTok, Instagram and Facebook.
  • Despite being fake, the scenario drew on recent real events, such as lions escaping Kruger National Park in April, to enhance its believability.
  • Commentators say the incident highlights the difficulty of verifying realistic AI-generated content and its potential to spread misinformation online.