The public in Garut Regency has recently been unsettled by a chain message circulating via the WhatsApp instant messaging application. The message contained a warning for tourists to avoid the Buffalo Hill area, a tourist site adjacent to Mount Papandayan, claiming there was a leopard (Panthera pardus melas) attack that had resulted in fatalities.
The narrative, distributed in the Sundanese language, urged people to inform their relatives not to visit the tourist destination. Accompanying the message was an attached video showing the condition of a deceased victim with quite gruesome visuals to convince recipients.
Following a fact-check, the information was officially declared false, or a hoax. The visual content shared in the message has no connection whatsoever to wild animals on Mount Papandayan or any wild animal attack incident.
Verification results show that the video clip used in the hoax message is actual footage related to an active mortar explosion that occurred in Cipatat Village, West Bandung Regency. The tragic incident involving several scavengers who attempted to open a mortar using a hammer is old documentation previously released by the National Police Public Relations unit.
The public is urged to remain calm and not easily provoked by unverified information. Resharing content containing disinformation, especially that which causes public anxiety, can negatively impact the security and peace of the surrounding community.
