In Uttar Pradesh, India’s largest state, forest officials were caught off guard when a supposed tiger “attack” in Sitapur was revealed as a cover for an elopement. Shortly after, they were tasked with tracking down an AI-generated leopard that “escaped,” not from the wild, but from someone’s imagination.
The saga kicked off in Lucknow, the state capital, when a dashcam video of a leopard near the Sugarcane Institute circulated on WhatsApp. Soon, the city seemed overrun with big cats—at least on screens. High-quality images of the leopard in various neighborhoods went viral, accompanied by “selfies” and blurry night footage of the creature prowling empty streets.
Parents kept children indoors, schools closed, and police issued nighttime warnings. “The situation escalated when opposition leader Akhilesh Yadav tweeted one of the images,” noted senior journalist Ruchi Kumar.
Stay informed with the latest updates. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
“That prompted local authorities to launch extensive searches and patrols.”
District forest teams swept across the city, inspecting parks and residential areas. CCTV footage was reviewed, pug marks were found in some locations, and searchlights illuminated Lucknow’s tree-lined streets. As the search continued, investigators uncovered that a true sighting had sparked a wave of AI-generated fabrications.
The breakthrough arrived when digital forensics experts detected clear signs of fakery. The leopard’s fur appeared unusually smooth, shadows were cast at improbable angles, and one “selfie” had lighting so flawless it resembled a magazine cover.
The investigation led police to a local youth—a journalism student—who admitted to creating the images using AI software.
His intention was to impress friends and gain followers, unaware that it would halt schools, police, and forest officials.
Two people have been detained for disseminating false information. District Commissioner of Police Central Ashish Srivastava stated: “AI is beneficial for education and research, but using it to incite panic is a crime. It disrupts public order.”
For Lucknow residents, this incident was a bizarre follow-up to Sitapur’s recent “tiger attack” hoax, where a mother faked a tiger attack to disguise her daughter’s elopement.
“First the tiger, now the leopard,” remarked Lucknow businessman Mohammad Idrees, who followed both incidents. “At this rate, we’ll be chasing dinosaurs next week.”
