A dramatic video showing an elephant apparently rescuing a person from raging floodwaters has gone viral on social media, with posts claiming the extraordinary scene was captured during the devastating Nepal-Tibet floods. The footage has prompted emotional reactions from viewers, many of whom have praised the animal for seemingly risking its life to save a human being.
However, a fact-checking organisation found that the clip had already been circulating online by 9 August 2026, more than two weeks before the catastrophic flooding struck Nepal on 26 August. The video was reportedly posted by a Bangladeshi news outlet with Bengali text describing a pet elephant saving its owner from flooding. Another version had reportedly been linked to flooding in India's Assam region.
