By Olivia Miwil
KOTA KINABALU: A viral image purportedly showing an orangutan cuddling a clouded leopard is not genuine, according to the Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC).
The Sabah-based research facility said the image, widely circulated on Facebook, was likely generated using artificial intelligence (AI).
It also dismissed claims linking the image to a supposed DGFC researcher named "Dr Amelia Toh-Ramirez", clarifying that no such individual is affiliated with the organisation.
While the image appeared heartwarming, DGFC said it depicted a biological impossibility.
"In the wild, orangutans and clouded leopards do not 'cuddle'. Clouded leopards are natural predators, and such an interaction would be dangerous, not photogenic," it said in a statement on its Facebook page.
DGFC added that AI-generated images risk undermining the work of conservationists and field researchers who spend months gathering authentic data.
Its director Dr Benoit Goossens urged the public to be more cautious about the sources they trust and share online.
"When something looks too good to be true, it usually is," he said.
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