Lion Enters Grocery Store In South Africa — Or Does It? Fact-Checking Viral Video

A terrifying video is going viral on social media, seemingly showing a lion walking into a supermarket in South Africa and heading straight to the meat section, leaving shoppers in disbelief. However, as the clip continues to gain massive traction online, many internet users are questioning its authenticity. So, is the video real, or is it just another case of AI-generated content? A fact-check reveals that the video is indeed fake and created using AI.

The Viral Claim -

An Instagram page identified as Safaris, which regularly posts wildlife and nature-related content, shared the video with the caption, “A wild lion casually entered a grocery store in South Africa, walking straight to the meat section like he owns it. This unexpected moment had shoppers frozen in disbelief. Nature just pulled up for dinner.”

The video has garnered over 1.8 million likes, a million views, and more than 20,000 comments. While many users were stunned by the visuals, others were skeptical about its authenticity.

Fact-Checking -

As the video goes viral, fact-checking has revealed that it is fake and made using AI. Here's How -

1) A screengrab from the viral video was used to conduct a reverse image search, which led to the original account where the video was uploaded. The video was posted by a YouTube channel identified as ATAQUES FEROZ. The account claims to share nature and wildlife content, but all the videos are AI-generated. The channel is filled with similar AI-created videos.

2) A closer analysis of the video also revealed multiple red flags. The lion's movements and the reactions of people in the store appeared unnatural and poorly rendered, further confirming the clip’s inauthenticity.

Conclusion -

The viral supermarket lion video is fake and entirely made using artificial intelligence. While it may look convincing at first glance, a deeper investigation confirms it's yet another example of how AI-generated content can blur the line between fiction and reality online.