Sad truth: Fake animal attack videos harm animals

Animal rescue videos are so popular and so lucrative that people are forcing animals into life-or-death situations just to make money.

A monkey is saved by a human at the last minute from an attack by a python, but it’s a setup. The monkey may have been seriously hurt by this staged attack.

These types of fake rescues come with a formula, according to National Geographic.

They last about five minutes. One animal attacks another in a muddy setting surrounded by vegetation. The camera cuts from the animals to a human rescuer. You see various camera angles.

Dramatic music heightens the drama.

The fake videos are usually posted on a YouTube channel with dozens of those videos.

The truth is that animal photographers and videographers say animal conflicts are very rare, and it takes the pros weeks or months to get ethical footage of such a fight.

In fake videos, some animals have injuries before the conflict, suggesting there have been several takes of the action. Snakes are especially subject to abuse and suffering in fake videos.

YouTube has attempted to take action on the videos, which largely come out of Cambodia.

If you see what you think is a fake animal attack video, click the Report button in the bottom right corner of the video. Never click on the ads, which is what makes these videos possible.

YouTube hopes to be able to enhance its enforcement against these videos, which abuse animals.