Viral video claimed Phoenix tiger was shot for sitting oddly. Here's how the rumor started
A recent viral TikTok video claiming a Phoenix Zoo tiger was shot for sitting oddly was confirmed fake by zoo officials.
The video, which began circulating around early July, shows a tiger sitting in a human-like position, squatting down and resting his arms on his knees. More recent versions of the video began connecting the animal to the Phoenix Zoo. The video claims zoo officials killed the tiger after mistaking it for an imposter.
Phoenix Zoo spokesperson Linda Hardwick said the video was generated through artificial intelligence and that both the images and the information provided were false.
"Neither the AI video nor the information provided alongside the video are real and do not reflect the care and practices of the Phoenix Zoo," Hardwick said.
According to the video, the fake tiger was an 8-year-old Malayan tiger named Eco. Zoo officials also determined these claims to be false. Hardwick said the zoo has never had a tiger named Eco.
"Our two Sumatran tigers, Raja and Joanne, are very much healthy, alive and well, and can be seen in real life in the Isle of the Tiger habitat at the Phoenix Zoo," Hardwick said.
The video also claimed there are about 300 of these species left in the world. According to the World Wide Fund for Nature in Malaysia, there are fewer than 150 Malayan tigers left in the wild, which is half the number stated in the video.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix Zoo tiger was not shot for sitting like human, experts say
