Fact Check: Viral Video of Man Feeding Liquor to Tiger in Pench is a Hoax

A video that recently went viral across social media platforms, claiming to show a man in Madhya Pradesh’s Pench petting a tiger and offering it liquor, is not real. The seemingly unbelievable footage, which quickly captured public imagination, has been confirmed by fact-checkers and wildlife experts as a sophisticated AI-generated deepfake.

The Viral Claim

The video, which circulated widely, was often accompanied by a dramatic narrative. The story alleged that a 52-year-old labourer named Raju Patel from the Pench area, tipsy after a late-night drinking session, mistook a fully-grown tiger for a “big cat” or a large house cat.

The claim further asserted that:

• The incident took place late at night near the Pench Tiger Reserve.
• The man calmly patted the tiger on its head and shoulder for several minutes.
• He was also seen offering the wild animal a sip from a bottle of homemade liquor.
• The tiger, described as a sub-adult displaced by monsoon floods, showed an unusually non-aggressive demeanor.
• The situation was supposedly resolved by forest officials who arrived later, mildly tranquilized the tiger, and guided it back into the forest.

The sheer audacity and perceived closeness of the human-animal interaction made the video instantly sensational, causing it to be shared thousands of times with many users believing it to be a genuine CCTV capture of a surreal event.

The Truth: An AI-Generated Fabrication

Upon closer examination and official verification, the viral video has been definitively exposed as a digital fabrication.

• No Official Confirmation: Crucially, no credible reports, local media coverage, or official statements from the Pench Tiger Reserve authorities or the local Forest Department exist to back the alleged incident. Such a sensational and dangerous human-animal encounter would undoubtedly be reported immediately by wildlife officials.
• Visual Inconsistencies: Fact-checking units, including Deepfakes Analysis Units, analyzed the clip and identified several visual flaws common in AI-generated media. Inconsistencies like distorted hands, warped animal paws, and unnatural blurring suggested the video was computationally manipulated. Tools used for AI detection also indicated a high probability that the visuals were artificially created.
• Expert Warnings: Wildlife experts and officials, including members of the Indian Forest Service (IFS), have publicly warned users about the video, confirming its AI origin and urging the public not to share such content, which can cause unnecessary panic and misinformation. IFS officer Parveen Kaswan, for example, tweeted confirming the video was AI-generated and advised people to “stay away from such AI generated videos and don’t forward them.”

The Rise of Believable Deepfakes

This incident serves as a stark reminder of the increasing sophistication of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and deepfake technology. The technology is now capable of producing realistic-looking videos that blur the lines between reality and fiction, making it extremely difficult for the average person to discern the truth.

While the narrative accompanying the video was dramatic and captivating, the underlying truth is far less thrilling: the footage of a man petting a tiger and offering it alcohol in Pench is nothing more than a carefully constructed digital hoax designed for viral engagement. Wildlife conservationists consistently advise that direct contact with wild tigers, especially a large adult or sub-adult, is extremely dangerous and almost always results in a fatal attack.