A video purporting to show a giant anaconda swimming in the Amazon River has gone viral across social media platforms, racking up millions of views in posts shared in multiple languages.
However, media reports and expert analysis have revealed that the widely circulated footage is not real but was generated using artificial intelligence.
The video, which first gained widespread attention as a Facebook reel on May 9, shows an enormous serpent moving across the surface of a river, filmed from what appears to be a helicopter.
The dramatic visuals quickly sparked awe and speculation among viewers.
Closer examination, however, uncovered several inconsistencies pointing to digital manipulation.
Observers noted that the image displayed on the camera being held in the video does not match the surrounding scene.
In addition, the snake appears to have two heads in certain frames, a clear anatomical impossibility.
A reverse image search further revealed that the same video had been posted a day earlier, on May 8, with the hashtag “AI” included in its caption.
Experts also dismissed the video’s authenticity on biological grounds.
Fernando Ignacio Ortiz, an ecologist and professor at the University of the Amazon in Colombia, explained that anacondas are too heavy to swim on the surface of the water as depicted in the clip.
Reptile and amphibian specialist Diego Huseth Ruiz added that a snake of the size shown would not be capable of moving at such speed.
Ruiz estimated that the snake in the video would measure at least 20 metres in length, far exceeding known biological limits.
Green anacondas, the largest snake species in the world, typically grow up to a maximum of around 7 metres.