Fact Check: Video claiming elephants leaving habitat at HCU is from Sri Lanka
The Telangana government’s decision to reclaim a 400-acre land triggered huge protests in Hyderabad Central University.;
Herd of elephants
The Telangana government’s decision to reclaim a 400-acre land triggered huge protests in Hyderabad Central University. The students argue that the 400-acre forest land belongs to the University, but the government claims that it has always been the owner of the property. For now, the Supreme Court has stayed the clearing of the 400-acre green cover by the Telangana government. The order came a day after the Telangana High Court ordered a pause on the tree-felling.
After the issue came to light, several videos and images of different animals are being circulated on social media platforms, claiming that they were displaced from their natural habitat and were seen roaming in the streets of Hyderabad. One such video showing a huge herd of elephants is being shared virally on several social media platforms, with the claim that these elephants were seen leaving HCU. The text on the video in Hindi goes as “हैदराबाद से पुरी हाथी फेमली नीकल पडी”, ‘A whole family of elephants is seen leaving HCU’.
Here is the archive link of the Claim.
Fact Check:
The claim is False. The video is not from Hyderabad.
When we extracted the keyframes from the viral video and searched them using Google reverse image search, we found several social media posts showing the same video but attributing it to Ampara Sri Lanka. We found a Facebook page sharing longer version on February 23, 2025, with the caption “Sri Lanka Ampara Sri Lanka, Elephants Crossing Main Road video 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱
Another Facebook user, Pearl Trips Lanka, shared the same video with the caption “Experience the Wild Beauty of Sri Lanka! Discover the majestic elephants of Sri Lanka in their natural habitat! This breathtaking video by WildLife Book captures the essence of Sri Lanka’s rich wildlife and stunning landscapes.”
Several other social media users shared the same video in February 2025.
According to news reports, herds of elephants are commonly seen in Ampara, Sri Lanka. A report published in the Sunday Times.lk states that elephant herds roaming in the Samanthurai area are a common sight where the paddy harvest is taking place. The Wildlife Department constantly attempts to drive the elephants to the Buddangala forest reserve. At times, over 150 elephants are spotted. The elephants could be spotted around 3.30 am crossing the Ampara-Kalmunai main road and heading towards the cultivated areas. The elephants return around 10 am. These pictures were captured this week.
Therefore, the viral video does not show a herd of elephants in Hyderabad, it is from Sri Lanka. The claim is False.