So you’re scrolling through your instagram feed when a video pops up, it’s of a tiny fawn tangled in barbed wire, frozen in fear, as a rugged hunty looking guy carefully frees it, while the mother deer watches from the shadows. So heartwarming. The rescuer’s gentle hands, the triumphant release, the flooding orchestral music… it’s the stuff of feel-good viral moments.
But pause for a second: What if that wire was placed there intentionally? What if someone deliberately endangered the fawn for the camera? Videos like this, shared by well-meaning friends as “cute” or “inspiring,” very often hide a sick truth. And once you’ve cracked onto this potential, you will start seeing the signs everywhere. And hey, no judgment if you’ve clicked before. I have too. We’re all guilty dopamine munchers and besides that, nice people love a “happy ending”, which is exactly why these things are being created. The question is: How can we turn our good intentions into real change without fueling the problem?
At its core, this issue stems from our sweet love of uplifting animal stories and humane human/animal interactions, and social media’s relentless drive for engagement. Creators vie in a sea of content, staging dramatic rescues to stand out, placing kittens in nets, puppies near snakes and baby chimpanzees in severe distress, only to swoop in as saviours. Why would anyone with an actual heart go to these kinds of lengths? In a platform economy where views equal ad dollars, outdoing the competition means more revenue.
We recently attended an online conference with a group called the Social Media Animal Cruelty Coalition (SMACC), and according to their 2024 report, researchers uncovered over a thousand such videos in just six weeks, many racking up millions of views. Imagine all that revenue. Often the same animals are re’used’ in multiple setups enduring repeated stress or injury. These aren’t isolated incidents; they’re a real trend, with many dodgy channels profiting massively from our clicks. As viewers though, are we unwittingly complicit in a cycle where suffering is made spectacle? Ugh.
The Illusion of Rescue: What’s Really Happening Behind the Scenes
In fake rescues cruelty to animals is deliberate. Animals are harmed off-camera to create the “danger,” then “saved” for the lens. Think about that baby deer video I mentioned – the tangled wire, the watchful mother. Signs of staging might include kind of obviously unnatural/unlikely scenarios (why barbed wire in a deer’s path, isn’t that hunty-looking guy surprisingly kind to animals after all), repetitive themes across a creator’s posts, or visible edits. SMACC’s report highlights how cruel people masquerade as heroes for money. Infant animals are often used again and again in various setups and are chosen for their “cuteness,” but suffer enormously for this. We don’t want to go into the exact mechanics of how animals are treated for the sake of these videos to save you the disturbing mental images, but it’s violent and cruel, I can assure you that.
And it’s not just about what ‘people’ are doing, it’s the SCALE of the problem. World Animal Protection reports that these clips have collectively racked up billions of views, fuelling illegal wildlife trades and encouraging copycats. A 2025 SMACC analysis revealed Facebook as the top platform, hosting 87.5% of public-reported cruelty links, far outpacing others. Friends we need to wise up and when we see this type of content, start asking questions like these:
– Should this animal be kept as a pet? Wild species almost always suffer in domestic settings.
– Is this a wild animal? Removal from habitat causes immense distress.
– Can the animal leave? Lack of escape signals confinement and fear.
– Is this a social animal? Isolation from peers leads to psychological harm.
– What happens when the animal grows up? Cute babies often face abandonment.
– Do good intentions matter? Even “kind” acts can mask suffering if they ignore animal needs.
– Does the animal seem to engage in unnatural behaviors? What looks “funny” might be terror.
These questions aren’t about shaming us for having clicked on these videos before, they’re tools for empowerment and education. Next time a friend sends you a video of a cute baby monkey in clothes, might you see it differently?
The Trap
We’ve all fallen into the trap. That enthralling deer video with a million views? Every play, like, share, or even outraged comment (“This is horrible!”) boosts the algorithm, spreading it further and stuffing the creator’s pockets. SMACC’s public advice nails it: engagement doesn’t discriminate – positive or negative, it all counts as “interest,” leading to more recommendations and ad revenue. A single viral video earns more than enough to incentivise more cruelty. But why do we engage? Think about it: in our quest for magical, beautiful acts of kindness, we overlook the harm.
Good intentions create the demand, but as SMACC points out, “watching the content adds to the problem” by widening its reach.
Awareness to action – what you can do:
The good news? Change starts with small, intentional choices, and SMACC’s five-step guide makes it super simple:
First, be aware: Educate yourself on subtle cruelties, like elephants “bathed” by trainers (actually a sign of captive abuse) or little children holding wild animals (terrifying for the animals).
Second, do not watch: Check titles, thumbnails, and comments for clues. Don’t risk spreading it. Views alone amplify reach.
Third, do not engage: No likes, no comments. Even your condemnation feeds the hungry beast. Outraged? Me too. Channel it somewhere else.
Fourth, do not share: Even to “raise awareness,” it boosts visibility. Instead, share resources like this article or SMACC’s articles.
Fifth, report it! This is your change-maker SUPERPOWER! Platforms rely on user flags. Here’s how to do it: smaccoalition.com/report-it-hub It might not vanish instantly, but collective reports lead to removals, SMACC’s dialogues with platforms confirm it’s vital. If you’ve seen cruelty, report it to SMACC’s public page endcrueltyonline.com/report-a-concern – they track trends to push for policy changes.
What if we flipped the script? Instead of sharing the video, share knowledge – forward SMACC’s reports or this piece to friends. Encourage discussions: “Hey, that ‘rescue’ vid, do you think it’s clear that the animal could leave?” Our actions here count – public pressure has prompted takedowns and algorithm tweaks, thank dogs.
By starving these creators of engagement, we send a clear message that profiting from suffering is NOT okay.
The Captive Animal Enrichment Project
The CAEP is a non-profit organisation that brings enrichment to captive animals to improve their quality of life. We do this by bringing a variety of relevant natural materials into their enclosures which can relieve boredom, encourage play, facilitate more natural behaviours and give them vital access to medicinal plants from which they can self-select what they require to bring themselves back into balance, as if they were foraging freely.
Our processes are based on cutting-edge research and years of experience in the field. We promote natural health and well-being for animals. Donate or get involved today. Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and X for more insights and information.
