PUNE: An artificial intelligence-generated video falsely showing the presence of a tiger in Mujawar Colony, a residential area in Karad tehsil of Satara district, triggered panic among residents on Wednesday. The video spread widely on social media platforms, especially WhatsApp, causing fear and confusion in the region.
The Forest Service acted swiftly to curb disinformation and tracked down those who allegedly created and disseminated the fake video. Forest officials said the video, shared by a teenage resident of Mujawar Colony, is suspected of using AI technology to fabricate reports of tiger sightings. A forestry team visited the site and conducted a detailed inspection.
In an official statement, the Satara Forest Department said that after checking the CCTV footage and carrying out a field survey, no evidence of the tiger movement was found. Officials also admitted that no local residents had actually seen a tiger.
The video was forwarded to Karad Cyber Crime Wing for technical analysis and further investigation of the digital content.
Satara Honorary Wildlife Warden Rohan Bhatte said the teenager who made the video has been detained by forest officials for questioning. “A detailed investigation was carried out. However, considering that the boy is a teenager and is currently continuing his university studies, the authorities decided not to press charges against him. He was given a strict warning and released on January 30,” Barthe said.
The forest department called on the public not to believe or forward unverified messages or videos about wild animal sightings, warning that such rumors could cause unnecessary panic and disrupt public order.
