THIMPHU: A tiger walking calmly beside a researcher. A leopard chased away by a house cat. Bears jumping on backyard trampolines.
Artificial intelligence (AI)-generated wildlife videos are rapidly spreading across platforms like TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram, attracting millions of views.
Many appear realistic enough to fool viewers, but conservation experts warn that these fabricated scenes are increasingly distorting how people understand wildlife.
The surge of AI-generated wildlife content is part of a broader transformation in digital media. With generative AI tools, convincing videos can now be produced quickly and cheaply, without field experience or filming equipment.
To trained wildlife experts, the errors may be obvious. However, to most viewers scrolling through social media feeds, they are not.
Conservationists say the consequences go beyond harmless entertainment.
Globally, fabricated wildlife clips are already creating confusion.
In one widely shared video, a leopard appears in a backyard while a domestic cat bravely confronts and drives it away. In another, deer and bears are shown bouncing on a trampoline. Such scenarios are entirely artificial but circulate widely online as real wildlife encounters.
Other viral videos portray dangerous animals behaving like pets, showing people hugging tigers, feeding wild bears or interacting peacefully with predators.
Experts warn that these portrayals misrepresent natural animal behaviour and may encourage risky interactions with wildlife.
The issue has already triggered real-world consequences in several countries.
In India, an AI-generated video showing a tiger attacking a man outside a house spread widely on social media before authorities confirmed the incident never happened.
Officials warned that such fabricated clips can fuel fear and potentially provoke retaliatory killings of wildlife already under pressure from human–animal conflict.
Similarly, authorities in Japan have cautioned against a wave of AI-generated bear videos circulating online. Some depict humans safely feeding or confronting bears. Scenes experts say could dangerously mislead the public about how to behave around wildlife.
Even conservation professionals have occasionally been misled. In Djibouti, a video showing a lioness crossing a road briefly excited conservationists before experts confirmed it was entirely AI-generated.
The central concern, conservationists say, is that wildlife conservation depends heavily on public perception.
Fear, admiration, tolerance, and respect all influence how societies respond to animals living alongside people. When AI-generated videos exaggerate attacks or invent encounters, they can inflame anxieties in communities already dealing with real wildlife risks.
Conversely, portraying wild animals as friendly companions may reduce caution and encourage unsafe behaviour.
The issue has now reached Bhutan’s digital space as well.
Recently, an AI-generated video circulating on TikTok portrayed tigers in Bhutan calmly interacting with a researcher, suggesting the animal was approachable and non-threatening. The video drew widespread attention online.
However, the Department of Forests and Park Services (DoFPS) strongly refuted such portrayals.
The department stated that tigers in Bhutan are wild, territorial apex predators and do not naturally engage in friendly or human-like interactions with people. AI-generated videos depicting them as approachable are scientifically inaccurate and potentially dangerous.
Officials warn that such content could create a false sense of safety, particularly among young viewers who consume large amounts of digital media.
“In Bhutan, many communities live close to forests and protected areas,” a DoFPS official said. “It is essential that people understand that tigers and other wild animals are unpredictable and must always be respected from a safe distance.”
Beyond public safety, the department also stated that misleading content can undermine conservation messaging built over decades. Bhutan’s reputation as a global conservation leader, officials emphasised, is grounded in science-based wildlife management and ecological integrity, not romanticised or fabricated narratives.
The department is monitoring misleading content and issuing clarifications when necessary through official communication channels.
At the same time, authorities recognise that AI itself is not the problem.
In fact, AI is becoming increasingly important in conservation science. Around the world, researchers are using machine learning to analyse camera-trap images, identify species, track animal movements, and process vast amounts of ecological data more efficiently.
DoFPS is also using AI and has begun deploying AI-supported monitoring systems. The department is piloting AI-based human–wildlife conflict mitigation tools designed to detect animals early and warn nearby communities. These technologies can enhance public safety and strengthen conservation responses.
The challenge, experts say, is ensuring that AI is used responsibly.
DoFPS is now working with communication and ICT authorities to explore digital guidelines encouraging clearer labelling of AI-generated wildlife content.
Environmental education programmes and school Nature Clubs are also being strengthened to help young people distinguish between authentic wildlife documentation and fabricated imagery.
As AI continues to reshape the digital landscape, conservationists say critical thinking and responsible sharing are becoming essential.
Wildlife conservation ultimately depends on a shared understanding of the reality where animals live, how they behave, and the risks they pose. Experts warn that when AI-generated images blur that reality, the challenge of protecting wildlife becomes even harder. - Kuensel/ANN
