Claims that Russian President Vladimir Putin has released 800 tigers and lions all over the country as a measure to keep people at home in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic have been shared multiple times on Twitter. The accompanying image of such claims is that of a lone lion on a street, at night.
Russian president Vladimir Putin released 800 lions and tigers across Russia to devour anyone who comes out. Stay home or die hard. GOAT😅😅😅😂😂 pic.twitter.com/QYsuwGJLBT
— 🖥Haycee (@HayceeAlves) March 22, 2020
#Covid_19 #StayAtHome
Putin has given Russians two options.Stay at home for 2 weeks or go to jail for 5years.
RUSSIA: Vladimir Putin has Dropped 800 tigers and Lions all over the Country to push people to stay Home.. Stay Safe Everyone!! pic.twitter.com/NED86vl3yg VIA @_Chinioty
— KenyanTraffic (@KenyanTraffic) March 22, 2020
#Covid_19#StayAtHome
Vladimir Putin has given Russians two options.You stay at home for 2 weeks or you go to jail for 5years.
No middle ground.RUSSIA: Vladimir Putin has Dropped 800 tigers and Lions all over the Country to push people to stay Home.. Stay Safe Everyone!! pic.twitter.com/vI1NSpe5TR
— Nasir Chinioti ناصر چنیوٹی (@_Chinioty) March 22, 2020
Even British billionaire Lord Alan Sugar weighed in:
Is this a wind up pic.twitter.com/sG4vnfnxAN
— Lord Sugar (@Lord_Sugar) March 22, 2020
Similar messages have been circulating on WhatsApp as can be seen in this screengrab (see below):
Background
As the world continues to grapple with the effects of COVID-19, strict measures by different countries ranging from closed boarders to total lockdowns have been enforced to curb the spread of the virus.
On March 19th, Russia registered its first death of a patient infected with COVID-19. According to The Moscow Times, as of the 22nd of March, there have been 367 confirmed cases.
The figures given on the confirmed cases have been questioned as to whether the Russian Government is ‘covering up’ the reality on the ground. This is due to Russia’s huge population of 144 million and its long border with China, which was, until recently, the epicentre of the pandemic.
The Government of the Russian Federation has been giving updates on regulations and measures to take to prevent the spread of the virus. These include travel restrictions and self-quarantine.
Verification
An image search shows that the picture used in the claim appeared on the 15th of April 2016 in reports by the New York Post , Daily Mail and Caters News.
The lion, named Columbus, was spotted on the streets of Braamfontein in Johannesburg, South Africa. It was being used in the production of a local film.
The images caused such a stir online that the #BraamLion became a trend on twitter.
There are no official reports from Russia on such an extreme measure being taken by President Putin.
Verdict
The claim that President Putin has released 800 lions and tigers to keep people at home is FALSE.
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