A video featuring a pastor purportedly entering a cage filled with lions to demonstrate divine protection has been debunked.
The video was alleged by some to show 'Pastor Daniel' taking part in the deadly challenge, in a modern-day echo of his Biblical namesake, who survived a similar experience, after refusing to bow down and worship King Darius in the Old Testament.
After the video went viral, it was discovered that the individual shown was in fact a zookeeper named Mohamed Abdirahman Mohamed. According to the BBC, the man has spent eight years working at a tourist park in Mogadishu, Somalia – where the video is recorded - and is skilled in handling various animals, including lions.
The video gained significant traction on social media, with some viewers incorrectly asserting that Pastor Daniel aimed to display his unwavering faith. A Nigerian blogger commented on the video: "Pastor Daniel brought his church members to show them that nothing can happen to a man of God. Somebody, please shout hallelujaaaaah!”
Even a Kenyan member of parliament, Ronald Karauri, shared the video under the mistaken belief that it was a re-enactment of the biblical story of Daniel.
"I volunteer to take him to the Maasai Mara [national park] please, all expenses paid. We look for the lions and he can go walk with them," he posted on the social media platform 'X', formerly known as Twitter.
According to the BBC, the video was originally posted on the park’s TikTok account where other videos of Mohamed with the lions can also be seen.