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Santa Ana Neighborhood Venomous Snake Sighting Is a Hoax, Police Say
Police said detectives confirmed the report was false after experts found no snake and the person who shared the image admitted it was AI-generated.
- On Tuesday, the Santa Ana Police Department confirmed that a viral photo of a Gaboon viper on a residential shed in Santa Ana was AI-generated, ending the localized alert.
- The alert began Monday when a resident reported seeing a four- to five-foot snake near Main Street and Edinger Avenue, prompting police and snake-wranglers to search the neighborhood.
- Jay Brewer of the Reptile Zoo in Fountain Valley noted the Gaboon is a ground dweller unlikely to climb, adding that owning one requires at least two permits and specialized facilities.
- California wildlife officials expressed relief, as a loose Gaboon would be "a nightmare," though SAPD has not stated whether the individual who made the false report faces charges.
- While speculation about the image's authenticity began early, SAPD investigated to confirm the hoax, noting these venomous snakes are native to Central, West, and East Africa, not Southern California.
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14 Articles
Police Searched High and Low for an AI-Generated Snake
Neighbors in Santa Ana, Calif., were spent to watch out for a deadly African viper on Monday that never existed. Police say a man admitted he used AI to generate an image of a Gaboon viper perched in a backyard tree, then called 911 and trimgered an hourlong search. The...
·Miami, United States
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The person who alerted the authorities admitted that he created with artificial intelligence the image that caused the search in a neighborhood of Santa Ana
·Los Angeles, United States
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The IndependentReposted by 
The Independent (US)
The Independent (US)Photo of deadly viper in California tree was fake AI, cops say
·London, United Kingdom
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Santa Ana neighborhood venomous snake sighting is a hoax, police say
The man who reported seeing a large venomous snake in his Santa Ana backyard has confessed that he made up the story and admitted that the photo he showed neighbors and police of the viper was AI-generated, according to the Santa Ana Police Department.
·New York, United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources14
Leaning Left5Leaning Right1Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution46% Left, 45% Center
Bias Distribution
- 46% of the sources lean Left, 45% of the sources are Center
46% Left
L 46%
C 45%
Factuality
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