It looks tender. It looks real.<\/p>\n
It isn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
The clip is AI-generated.<\/p>\n
Jackie and Shadow \u2014 made world-famous by a 24-hour livestream<\/a> \u2014 aren\u2019t the only animals falsely depicted in deepfakes. AI wildlife videos have flooded social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, racking up millions of views and likes. Some are whimsical, like a handful of bunnies hopping on a trampoline. Others take a more menacing tone, like a jaguar facing off with a dog<\/a> in a snowy backyard.<\/p>\n Far from benign, some experts say the videos can skew how people view and even interact with wildlife \u2014 potentially leading to perilous encounters. They may also undermine viewers\u2019 growing desire to tune into nature<\/a> to escape the frenetic rhythms of daily life. Repeated exposure could erode trust in media and institutions generally<\/a>, with one Reddit user proclaiming<\/a>, \u201cCan\u2019t even watch real animal videos because 90% of them are AI.\u201d There are also legal implications. <\/p>\n The deception works because the depictions are often hyperrealistic. Even a producer for the Dodo, an animal-centric media outlet, admitted to falling for <\/a> the bouncing bunnies. Often the videos appear to be ripped from trail or security cameras, enhancing vibes of authenticity. In the competitive economy for people\u2019s attention, the videos can help win looks and likes<\/a>, potentially driving ad revenue for those who post them.<\/p>\n Megan Brief, a digital marketing coordinator for Natural Habitat Adventures, an ecotourism company, had just returned from Svalbard, a far-flung Norwegian archipelago teeming with polar bears and walruses.<\/p>\n Her social media feed piled up with video after video of polar bear rescues, such as fishermen or scientists hauling a freezing, struggling baby polar bear onto a ship. On board, people snapped selfies with the cub before reuniting it with its mom.<\/p>\n She knew they were fake because she was well-versed in the behavior of the snow-white predators, which are fiercely protective of cubs. As the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service warns, these \u201clarge, powerful carnivores\u201d can easily injure or kill people. It would also be illegal to intervene. <\/p>\n But thousands of commenters took what they saw at face value.<\/p>\n (Photo illustration by Jim Cooke \/ Los Angeles Times; Source photo \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n \u201cIt shows that you can have this close proximity with wildlife that is not only dangerous to you, but it\u2019s dangerous to the animal,\u201d said Brief, who is also a wildlife photographer. Social media is filled with AI animal rescues<\/a> of all types. <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s everyone\u2019s dream, to be one with all the animals and with wildlife,\u201d she added, \u201cbut you have to respect their habitat and their behavior and give them the space that they need.\u201d <\/p>\n On the flip side, she said the videos also can perpetuate myths that predators such as wolves and mountain lions are more dangerous than they actually are. It\u2019s easy to see how videos could inflame heated debates over managing such animals, in California and beyond. <\/p>\n![\"photo](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ai\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1777717510_793_.jpeg\")
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