It looks heartwarming, but viral 'elephant rescuing tiger' video in Indonesia floodwaters is AI-generated
As heavy monsoon rains trigger floods across parts of India, an old AI-generated wildlife video has resurfaced on social media with false claims that it shows a Sumatran elephant rescuing a tiger from floodwaters in Indonesia.
The dramatic clip, widely shared on Facebook, X, Instagram and WhatsApp, appears to show an elephant wading through raging floodwaters before helping a tiger that is being swept away by the current.
The accompanying caption claims: "A rare and touching incident was captured during flash floods in Sumatra. The video shows a Sumatran elephant attempting to rescue a tiger swept away by the strong current."
However, the claim is false.
AI-generated, not real
The viral video is not authentic footage of a real wildlife rescue. It was created using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and first appeared online in November 2025. It has resurfaced several times since then with the same misleading narrative, most recently during India's 2026 monsoon season.
There is no credible evidence or official report from Indonesian authorities, wildlife agencies or news organisations confirming that such an incident ever took place.
Why people are being fooled
Advances in generative AI have made it increasingly difficult to distinguish between real and fabricated videos. AI tools can now produce highly realistic visuals, complete with lifelike animal movements, water effects and cinematic camera angles.
Wildlife videos are particularly susceptible to misinformation because they often portray emotional or extraordinary interactions that quickly go viral, encouraging users to share them without verification.
It is an old clip from November 2025 that has resurfaced with the same misleading claim during the 2026 monsoon season. There is no evidence that the incident actually occurred.
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