Do snakes lay eggs through their mouths? Fake videos concern TN forest officials in concern
The latest among fake and morphed videos, spreading factually incorrect messages that are doing the rounds on social media, has become a cause of unease among TN forest officials.
A video grab of the fake/morphed video of a snake laying eggs from its mouth
CHENNAI: Do you know some snakes do lay eggs through their mouths and not cloaca (the end of the digestive tract), said a tribe who tracks wildlife and migratory pattern of birds for the Tamil Nadu forest department while sharing a video of a cobra ‘laying’ 11 eggs through its mouth.
The latest among fake and morphed videos, spreading factually incorrect messages that are doing the rounds on social media, has become a cause of unease among TN forest officials.
AI-generated and half-cooked, such contents are reaching the tribal population via mobile phones, which, in the long term, could influence the traditional knowledge of our tribes, admit stakeholders on forestry.
"Most of the field staff rely on tribes for their first-hand traditional knowledge on the flora and fauna. So when they are influenced by social media, their information becomes unreliable," said V Thirunavukarasu, additional principal chief conservator of forests and principal, Central Academy for State Forest Service (CASFOS).
To ascertain the credentials of such videos that look close to authentic, they can be sent to the Advanced Institute of Wildlife Conservation at Vandalur, Thiruvakarasu said. In our orientation module programme for officer trainees, there is a chapter on fake videos, where experts are brought in to talk on the subject, the CASFOS principal added.
Several herpetologists in the state are concerned as fake videos on wildlife, particularly snakes, have grown popular among TN and Kerala tribes in Anamalai and Parambikulam tiger reserves.
“Despite several awareness programmes by Chennai Snake Park and forest departments, videos with mythical stories are being spread about snakes and other reptiles," said herpetologist V Kalaiarasan of Chennai Snake Park, adding reptiles are the most misunderstood animals.
"As any habitat-related information may help poachers, most of the trackers are advised not to share GPS marked wildlife photos, particularly that of tiger, elephant and protected birds, but there is a steady flow of fake videos from the plains to those in forest areas,” said conservation scientist A Kumaraguru of Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, Tiruchy.