Police Confirm Video of Tiger Attack in Garut's Mount Papandayan is a Hoax

The Garut Resort Police have confirmed that information regarding a tiger or wild animal descending and attacking residents in the Garut Regency area, West Java, is untrue or a hoax. This clarification was issued following the circulation of a video on social media that had sparked public concern. Head of Public Relations for the Garut Police, Ipda Susilo Adhi, stated that the narrative claiming three residents were mauled by a tiger in the Mount Papandayan area is false information. ‘The information about a tiger mauling three residents in the Mount Papandayan area is a hoax,’ said Ipda Susilo Adhi in Garut on Tuesday. The police conducted an in-depth investigation into the spread of the video and chain messages on the WhatsApp platform. The results confirmed that the video did not occur within the jurisdiction of the Garut Police. Ipda Susilo explained that the recording is an old video related to an explosion incident that occurred in the Cipatat area, West Bandung Regency. ‘The circulating video is not an incident from Garut, but rather victims from an explosion incident in Cipatat,’ he said. He further revealed the actual facts behind the video. The original narrative of the video involved residents who found an active mortar round. Unaware of the danger, the victims tried to open the projectile by hitting it, which triggered the explosion. In addition to digital tracing, the police also coordinated directly with the management of the Mount Papandayan tourist area. Based on this confirmation, it is certain that there was no incident of a wild animal attack on residents or tourists in the area. The Garut Police are urging the public to remain calm and not to worry excessively. However, residents are asked to be more selective in receiving and disseminating information. Ipda Susilo reminded that spreading unverified information will only cause panic among the public. ‘If the truth of a piece of information cannot be proven, then the public should not share it with others,’ he concluded.