Wildfires that have burned a historic area across France in recent weeks have also devastated wildlife, and videos claiming to show animals fleeing or being rescued from the flames have spread widely on social media. Several of the most viral clips, however, are fake or have been taken out of context, according to a fact-check by TF1info's Les Vérificateurs.
AI-Generated Fox Rescue
One clip that moved many viewers shows a fox kit protected by its soot-covered mother in a scorched landscape, as firefighters try to revive the animal while the kit cries out in fear before the mother stands back up. An X account that shared the video last week said the rescue took place in France, but the same footage also appeared on an English-language account, where it reached 4.5 million views.
The rescue never took place, in France or anywhere else. Visual inconsistencies point to AI generation, including the mother fox's fur turning orange again as if by magic the moment water is poured on it, and blurred patches elsewhere in the frame. Google's Gemini assistant confirmed that the entire video, both visuals and audio, was generated or modified using Google's AI tools, and identified an invisible watermark called SynthID embedded in the footage.
Deer Caught in Fence Also Fabricated
Similarly, images circulated showing a doe struggling against a wire fence beside a road while fire threatened just meters away. The clip appeared in a compilation on Instagram that has amassed 4.3 million views. Details raised doubts here too, including parts of the fence that blur intermittently.
In a longer version of the video posted on Facebook, the animal at times passes straight through the fence. Gemini again confirmed that all or part of the video's visuals had been generated or modified using Google's AI tools, and detected a SynthID watermark.
Dog Rescue Video Filmed in Manila, Not France
Other videos are genuine but were taken out of context. One shows an exhausted dog being carefully hosed down by firefighters against their vehicle, captioned with a claim that the dog was the sole survivor and that every second counted when firefighters found it.
A close look at the footage shows the English word close appearing over a handle attached to the water hose. The rescue did happen, but not in France: the footage was posted in early July by a Facebook user based in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, who documents the work of firefighters there. On the same user's Instagram account, the rescue has been viewed 3.6 million times.
Pool Rescue Video Predates the Fires
Another widely shared video shows fawns fleeing flames and taking refuge in a swimming pool. A post on X, viewed more than 610,000 times, claimed the footage was filmed during fires near Bordeaux. The video is real, but it does not date from the fires: the original clip was posted on July 9 on the social media accounts of the website Chasse Passion, before the large-scale fires that later hit the Bordeaux region.
The original post said the animals were fleeing the heat, not flames. Jacques Cheval, the founder of Chasse Passion, said the two fawns and a doe, filmed in the early morning mist, had simply fallen into the pool while searching for water during a heatwave, and had nothing to do with the fires. He said his footage had been hijacked to fuel buzz around the fires in Gironde. Cheval did not specify where the video was filmed but said it had been sent to him by a friend whose own neighbor had filmed it.
Millions of Animals Feared Affected
Even though these particular scenes are fake or misleading, the distress of animals caught in the fires is real. Allain Bougrain-Dubourg, president of the Ligue de Protection des Oiseaux, said Friday on RMC that it was already known that millions of animals had been affected.
While a precise assessment is not yet possible, Ecological Transition Minister Monique Barbut said last week that the damage to wildlife looked catastrophic, and she anticipated extremely significant losses.
The animals most at risk are not necessarily the ones appearing in the most viral videos. Deer, does and dogs can flee more easily, but smaller species cannot, including hedgehogs, frogs and the many insects that serve as food for numerous other species. Eric Hansen, interregional director for the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and Corsica region at the Office Français de la Biodiversité, said in a TF1 20H report that 99% of them would die, calling it a reality.
