Old Video of Lion Walking on the Streets Falsely Shared as Recent One From Sudan

The video could be traced back to at least February 2021 and is from Libya's Benghazi.

Social media users shared a video of a lion roaming around on the streets as a recent one from Sudan's Khartoum. Those sharing it have also claimed that the animal had escaped from a nearby zoo.

At the time of writing this story, the video had recorded more than 34,000 views.

(More archives to similar posts can be found here and here.)

What is the truth?: The viral video could be traced back to at least February 2021 and is reportedly from Libya's Benghazi.

How did we find out?: Using Google Chrome extension, InVID, we divided the video into several keyframes and performed a reverse image search on them.

• A Yandex search led us to a Twitter post which carried a screengrab of the viral video. It was uploaded on 25 February 2021.

• The post's caption mentioned that the lion was seen on the streets of Libya.

Taking this forward, we performed a keyword search and came across a YouTube video uploaded on the official channel of Sky News Arabia.

• Its description mentioned that the concerned in Libya were able to rescue the lion. The video was recorded in Baninah, Benghazi by a citizen who spotted the lion wandering around the neighbourhood.

News reports: A report in news agency Sputnik International mentioned that the authorities in Benghazi, Libya rescued a lion that had escaped from a nearby zoo. The report carried the viral video and a picture of the lion after it was rescued.

• Arabic newspaper Al-Bayan published a similar report.

What is happening in Sudan?: A deadly conflict between Sudan Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces broke out, which has claimed the lives of at least 413 people and injured more than 3,500 people.

• The Indian government has launched "Operation Kaveri," in an attempt to bring back thousands of Indians stranded in the conflict-hit area.

Conclusion: While we could not independently verify the location and date of the video, the video has been on the internet since February 2021 and predates the recent Sudan crisis.

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