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Updated 19 June 2025 at 14:30 IST

Fact Check: Video of Lion Entering Supermarket Sparks Chaos, Netizens Say 'It’s AI'

Netizens are not convinced after the viral video of a lion entering a grocery store in South Africa was debunked to have been AI-generated.

Reported by: Utsavi Pandey
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Viral video of lion entering store is AI-generated.
Viral video of lion entering store is AI-generated | Image: X/Screengrab

Viral Video: A viral one-minute clip of a lion entering a supermarket to help itself with some meat has garnered millions of views online. Nevertheless, netizens are not convinced and allege it is AI-generated.

The video is allegedly from South Africa, where a lion entered a grocery store. Reports suggest the video is likely AI, considering the visuals are not smooth and are rather inconsistent.

AI Or Not? 

The video shows a lion entering a grocery store in what is believed to be South Africa and captures the lion from various different angles. The camera angle and zoom-in/zoom-out changes as per the lion's movements, which is unlikely in usual CCTV footage.

The video then proceeds to show a man running away at the sight of the lion and another trying to fearfully approach it, probably to lure it out, at the start of the video.

The viral clip has been posted on several platforms numerous times and has thousands of likes on many of them. Regardless, the claim that a real lion entered a grocery store in South Africa is false and the video is AI-generated.

Visible Cues Of AI In The Video 

If looked at closely, one could easily make out that the video is AI-generated. First, the lion's tail fades for a few seconds at the start and then magically reappears.

Then, a shape that looks like an extra foot appears as the lion sits to relish the meat. When the lion moves, it becomes something more like a piece of meat. Yet again in the video, a piece rolls before the lion touches it.

The video is watermarked with '@ataquesferoz' and was supposedly posted on June 14, 2025, with the AI-generated label mentioned in the caption as per TikTok's policy, where the video was originally posted according to some reports.

Though the video of the lion turned out to be fabricated, there are instances where wild animals perform marvelous feats. 

Netizens Not Convinced

Since the video was widely circulated, many social media users caught some inconsistencies in the viral video. Look how some users pointed out the issues in the video with time stamps: 

However, some are just enjoying the AI creativity to its fullest. “That is one smart shopper,” commented one, joking about the video. 

Also read: Woman Tied to Tree After Husband Fails to Repay Rs 80,000 Loan

Published 19 June 2025 at 14:30 IST