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Recently, a video of a pride of lions running allegedly on the streets of Detroit went viral. Instagram account @detroitsportsdaily first uploaded the video on December 27, which gained traction with 10K likes at the time of writing. In the clip, a voice could be heard saying:
“What the f*ck is going on? Oh, aye.. Son no.. What the f*ck is going on? Now, where are you going? How the f*ck y'all end up over here on Mac and Beat me? This sh*t is crazy. Get off these people's neighborhood. What is all doing? Just motherf*cking running around.”
After that, the widely shared video caused a great deal of misunderstanding and internet debate. However, as per CBS News' December 26 report, wildlife officials denied the claim, stating that no such incidents happened. Additionally, the experts pointed out the discrepancies in the video, including signs in languages other than English.
Later, in another Instagram video, while giving an interview to CBS, comic Jay Cotton acknowledged sharing the clip as a prank.
No, there are no loose lions in the streets of Detroit
On social media, the video claiming that lions are prowling the streets of Detroit has caused great uncertainty. With a timestamp indicating it was shot in 2024, the widely shared clip shows a pride of lions walking through a metropolis.
However, according to the same CBS news story, wildlife officials confirmed that no lions had been spotted wandering around the city. Additionally, according to the Detroit Zoo and the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, any such incident would result in an urgent and immediate public notification. The authorities further explained:
“If something like this happened, the public would know right away.”
Meanwhile, experts pointed out discrepancies in the footage. David Derigiotis, a cybersecurity specialist, brought attention to a crucial detail: a sign in the background that was not in English. Derigiotis said that even though the video was most likely not created using AI, people shouldn't believe everything they see online.
He further emphasized the importance of verifying information before accepting it at face value. On the other hand, comedian Jay Cotton was eventually connected to the video. Cotton admitted he wasn’t trying to mislead anyone and uploaded the video as a joke. He said the footage of the lions, which he found online, was not shot in that city. He further said:
“It was just me being funny, y’all. I love the city of Detroit. This is my city.”
During the same CBS interview conducted on December 28, he said:
“So obviously it was a joke, but not everyone caught the joke. I just did it on the whim you understand what I'm saying.. And I just was like I'm about to put a voice over on it, and I did it.. And I uploaded it and as soon as I uploaded it, I told my wife.. I was like, baby, this is about to do a number..”
He continued:
“You know, I think that's just where we are in the world today… People just believe almost anything they see on the internet… Don't you think we let you know watch CBS Detroit and see cuz I'm sure they're gonna debunk this story and let everybody know.. It's not 13 lions running around y'all on a serious note..”
Then, the comedian, who gave the interview to apologize to anyone he may have frightened, said that he hoped it would serve as a warning not to trust everything people read or see online. He said:
“Don't just take everything that you see on the internet for gospel truth.. Do your research?... It's not hard to go and research and find something like.. At the end of the day, yeah, it was a joke, but if there were 13 lions seriously running around in the city of Detroit, I would hope people would be smart enough to either call the police…”
However, regardless of his intentions, the video went viral. Nevertheless, it was eventually debunked.
