“Digital Lion Has Free Will”: Rhodes University Breaks the Silence About a ‘Lion’ Roaming on Campus
- Rhodes University issued a bizarre statement regarding a lion roaming the campus, clarifying that the animal is actually a high-tech project named RhoLeo 3.0
- The lion was developed by Master’s students, but accidentally escaped its lab and lost connection to the university’s mainframe
- Social media users expressed a mix of fear and admiration, with many questioning whether the animal was a real physical or an AI-generated anomaly
Source: UGC
Rhodes University recently sent the internet into a frenzy after addressing reports of a lion wandering through its campus grounds.
In a post shared on the X account @Rhodes_Uni on February 15 2026, the university reassured the public that the predator, named RhoLeo 3.0, is harmless and hypoallergenic.
The lion is an ongoing project created by a group of Master’s students that unexpectedly left its environment before it could be retrieved. According to the institution, the project lost its connection to the mainframe, causing it to roam freely. While RhoLeo 3.0 appeared as a ‘real’ lion, the university warned that it was due for capture.
A lion on the loose
The institution noted that students could witness the animal displaying visible glitching, alignment errors, or minor reality distortion. X account @Rhodes_Uni encouraged anyone who spots the animal to document the encounter and tag the official to track its signal before full de-resolution occurred.
DON'T MISS IT: Stay Away From Fake News With Our Short, Free Fact-Checking Course. Join And Get Certified!
SA reacts to the lion news
The post gained traction as many social media users flooded the comments section, confused. While many viewers praised the students for their high-tech invention, others were unsettled by the blurred lines between reality and technology. Several users asked if they should be careful around RhoLeo 3.0, expressing their fears of the predator. Students from other institutions joked that they were glad to be elsewhere, admitting they would be terrified to bump into a glitching lion at night.
Source: Getty Images
User @getKennethed22 asked:
"What does this statement even mean? Someone should explain to me."
User @Lord_Ori_ commented:
"It’s such instances that make you appreciate being a student at other institutions, because what is this? 😂 Send it to my ex’s res😭."
User @Sipho_Mkh011 asked:
"Harmless lion, so people should believe that 🤔?"
User @Ricky_ting777 said:
"Wow, people need to wake up to the future 😂. Some people think a real lion is on the loose after they clearly say it's not real and digital."
User @RealMbombo added:
"This is amazing. I would like to read more about this RhoLeo 3.0."
User @Amviktar asked:
"Lol, so the digital lion now has free will, but you are trying to convince everyone that it is harmless?"
3 Briefly News articles about lions
- A private game reserve owner who lives in a house with two massive lions went inside their cage to feed them, shocking many social media users.
- A video of a man standing outside his bakkie while a lion stood nearby, waiting for its food, had the online community urging him to get back inside the car.
- A wildlife-loving man was filming a lion at a game reserve when it came charging towards him, causing him to drop the camera on the ground.
PAY ATTENTION: Follow Briefly News on Twitter and never miss the hottest topics! Find us at @brieflyza!
Source: Briefly News
