Fact Check: Video of a woman being dragged by a tiger after getting out of a car is not recent and not from India
Jungle safaris are a thrilling way to experience the beauty and excitement of the wild. To make sure everyone is safe;
Jungle safaris are a thrilling way to experience the beauty and excitement of the wild. To make sure everyone is safe and has a good time, everyone must follow certain rules. Understanding the importance of jungle safari etiquette is crucial for a safe and enjoyable experience. By following proper etiquette, you can help preserve the environment and the wildlife. Ignoring these guidelines can lead to dangerous situations. Loud noises can disturb the natural behavior of animals, leading to unnecessary stress or even aggressive reactions. Keep conversations at a low volume and avoid unnecessary noise, including playing music or using electronic devices with loud sounds. Feeding wild animals is not only against park regulations but can also have severe consequences for both the animals and humans. Human food is often inappropriate for wildlife and can lead to health issues.
Meanwhile, a video showing a tiger dragging a woman in the wild is shared virally on social media with the implication that the incident occurred recently in India. In the video, we can see a woman getting out of the driver's seat of a car in the middle of a small road and going to the other side of the car. She starts talking to the person in the car when a tiger comes from the back and drags the woman away. This video is shared with the caption “पति से झगड़ा कर कार से बाहर निकली महिला, जंगल में खींच ले गया बाघ...” When translated it claims, “A woman got out of the car after a fight with her husband, a tiger dragged her into the jungle...” (Disclaimer: Graphical video)
Here is the archive link of the Claim.
Fact Check:
The claim is False. The video is not recent and not from India.
When we extracted key frames from the video and used them to search using Google reverse image search, we found some old social media posts.
A Facebook user named Varta24 Travel shared the same video on August 5, 2023 with the caption “जंगल में सफारी करते समय सावधानी रखें और गाड़ी से तो बिल्कुल नहीं उतरे... देखिए, कैसे एक महिला को बाघ ले गया..!!” when translated, it states “Be careful while doing a safari in the jungle and do not get down from the vehicle at all... See, how a tiger took away a woman..!!”
Upon further search, we also found longer version of the video published by News18 India, with the caption “चीन के बीजिंग शहर से दिल दहला देने वाला वीडियो सामने आया है.. बीजिंग में एक वाइल्ड लाइफ पार्क में दो महिलाओं का शिकार करता हुआ बाघ सीसीटीवी में कैद हो गया.. दरअसल एक लड़की ड्राइविंग करने के लिए कार से बाहर निकलकर जैसे ही ड्राइविंग सीट की और बढ़ी उसे बाघ खींच ले गया...उसे बचाने के लिए जैसे ही दूसरी महिला भागी उसे दूसरा बाघ उठा ले गया..”.
When translated, the post states, “A heartbreaking video has surfaced from the city of Beijing in China .. A tiger hunting two women in a wildlife park in Beijing was caught on CCTV .. Actually a girl got out of the car to sit in the driving seat of the car and soon as she got out, a tiger took her away by pulling her.... To save her, the other woman ran behind but was taken away by another tiger…” (Disclaimer: Graphical video)
YouTube channel of Marathi news channel, Loksatta, shared a longer version of the viral video with the title “Tiger Seen at Badaling Wildlife Safari Park in China” on July 25, 2016. The description on the video states that “In the video, you can clearly see the tiger dragging the woman into the forest. The moment was so terrifying that even the people in the car parked nearby could not do anything.” (Disclaimer: Graphical video)
According to an article published in scmp on October 18, 2016, the attack occurred on July 23 at Badaling Wildlife World, near the Great Wall in Beijing. A 13-second surveillance video shows the woman, surnamed Zhao, exiting the front passenger door of the car and walking to the driver’s door, where she stands talking to the driver, later confirmed to be her husband. A tiger appears from behind her and drags her off.
The driver gives chase, and all three disappear off camera before the man returns to the car, where he is joined by another woman from the back seat, and they run in the direction in which the tiger dragged Zhao. The second woman was Zhao’s 57-year-old mother, who was also attacked and died of blood loss. Zhao was taken to a hospital where she was treated for severe injuries.
Hence, the viral video showing a tiger dragging away a woman who stepped out of a car is an old one, from the year 2016. The incident took place in China and not India. The claim that it is a recent incident is False.