This incredible video is spreading on social networks in January 2022.
A man flees from a bear in a snowy forest. A drone flying rapidly through the forest captures the dramatic chase.
The clip is shared by numerous users and clicked millions of times. Due to the poor quality of the video, it is suspected that this is a fake.
But what is behind the chase? Is the stunning video really real?
The chase clip is real footage, but the story behind the video isn’t as dramatic as it first appears.
A search by the fact checkers of “Snopes” leads to the originator of the video. Dima Smirnov explains that the bear is a trained animal named Tom.
As proof of his claims, the drone pilot provides the portal with the raw footage of the clip. In addition to the viral video, there are other scenes with the bear.
The man running from the bear in the video also shares the viral video on Instagram. He writes that he was lucky to be able to work “with this cool and obedient bear”.
The actor claims to have worked with the animal last year. These pictures from February 2021 prove it.
The case makes it clear that spectacular viral videos do not always have to be digitally manipulated content. But also that videos taken out of context can appear more dramatic than they actually are.
How do we check videos for manipulation in the editorial office? It is important to look at the details. The individual frames of a video often reveal whether a video has been edited. We take a close look at each image and enlarge individual sections. Indications of a fake are, for example: lack of motion blur, unnatural shadows or editing errors. The general rule at stern is: Seriousness before speed. We always double-check facts and material thoroughly before publishing them. For this we work with the cross-editorial “Team Verification” together with RTL, NTV, RTL2, Radio NRW.