Animals
AI-Generated Photo of ‘Highly Venomous’ Snake Tricks California Police Into Issuing Public Alert
A warning about a dangerous snake in a Southern California neighborhood prompted cops to send an alarming warning message to residents — but the image behind the alert turned out to be a fake.
The Santa Ana Police Department withdrew its warning after herpatologists searched the area, and the person who supplied the photo eventually confessed to lying, authorities revealed in a Facebook update on Tuesday, September 29, 2026.
“He admitted the photo was AI-generated and that the report was false,” the department said in an update. “While there was speculation from the beginning that the photo may have been AI-generated, SAPD had to investigate and follow up to confirm what actually happened.”
Police did not confirm whether they planned to pursue a charge for filing a false report.
The initial report described what appeared to be a 4- to 5-foot Gaboon viper in a tree in a residential area of Santa Ana, about 32 miles southeast of Los Angeles, per a Facebook post earlier that day.
Residents were advised to stay away from the reptile and contact authorities if they spotted it. The warning spread quickly online because the highly venomous species is not native to North America, according to USA Today.
Gaboon vipers are native to Central, East and West Africa, per information from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. Their markings resemble fallen leaves, helping them hide among leaf litter.
The snakes typically remain motionless while waiting for small- to medium-sized birds and mammals to approach before striking. The zoo says bites involving humans are rare and generally happen when someone accidentally steps on a snake or startles it.
