University warning of “lion” roaming campus sparks panic and confusion

Rhodes University has issued an unusual campus notice, warning students about a “lion” reportedly roaming its grounds—while making clear that the figure is not a real animal and poses no danger.

In a post shared on X with more than 800,000 views, the South African university said it was “aware of the ‘lion’ currently reported to be roaming campus” and reassured students that the figure is “completely harmless (and hypo‑allergenic).” The wording signaled that the sighting was linked to a digital project rather than a live animal. 110448 00176985

The university said the lion, referred to as RhoLeo 3.0, is part of an ongoing experimental project developed by a group of master’s students. The statement says that the digital figure temporarily exited its laboratory environment after “unforeseen circumstances” and lost connection to its mainframe before it could be retrieved.

In the post that has prompted confusion online, the university wrote: “Rhodes University is aware of the “lion” currently reported to be roaming campus and wishes to reassure students that he is completely harmless (and hypo-allergenic). RhoLeo 3.0 is an ongoing project developed by a group of Master’s students. Due to unforeseen circumstances, he temporarily exited the lab environment and subsequently lost connection to the mainframe prior to retrieval.”

Although the picture of RhoLeo 3.0 is visually similar to a real lion, Rhodes University said it is “currently due for rendering” and may begin to display visible digital effects, including glitching, pixel drift or what it described as “minor reality distortion.” The post included an image of the lion lying on campus grounds as a reference.

The university encouraged students and staff who encounter the figure to document sightings and tag the institution’s official social media channels. Management said this would help track the project and restore its signal before “full de‑resolution” occurs.

The notice concluded by thanking the campus community for its cooperation and was signed “by order of management.”

The post quickly drew attention online for its tongue‑in‑cheek tone and the realistic appearance of the image shared alongside it. But many were left confused by the post.

“What exactly does this mean?” said one commenter on X, while another wrote: “Is it April fools day?” 

“What’s going on there. Did you develop an AI lion and lost track of it in the Campus?” said a third commenter.

Newsweek reached out to Rhodes University via email for comment.