Analysis: Viral video’s ‘human leg’ meat likely shows beef or other hoofed animal flesh
A Reddit video posted on Jan. 12 appeared to show a piece of meat tightly wrapped in plastic that resembled a human leg. In the video, the person who shot the footage in a supermarket speaks Russian first and then jokingly asks in English if the meat is “human’s,” to which a salesperson’s voice responds, “Pakistan,” possibly not fully understanding the question. The video sparked wide speculations in the comments section, drawing more than 16,000 upvotes and 1,100 comments.
Similar images from the same supermarket also circulated elsewhere online. For example, on Feb. 2, a Weibo post discussing the Epstein files featured an image showing the same meat, alleging that supermarkets in the United States were selling “a human leg” (presumably referring to the unsubstantiated claim that Epstein engaged in cannibalism).
One Reddit user said the video could have been AI-generated (archived here). On YouTube, it was widely shared and repurposed by many accounts (for example, here | archive), some of which recorded tens of thousands of views. A version on Douyin claimed the image was taken at a Ukrainian supermarket and the human-leg-alike meat is actually “ostrich” flesh.
Annie Lab traced the clip to the user who first uploaded it on Instagram on Jan. 7. Although this footage was later deleted after it had gone viral, we found the uploader through social media posts that shared the same video, many of which had a watermark of the original creator’s Instagram account name (for example, here | archive).
We then found that this original account posted two related videos on Jan. 14. The first one (archived here) appears nearly identical to the original and shows the same location and the meat but from different angles. It was titled “this beef leg” in English. In the comment section, he wrote “Свежее Мясо в Дубае,” which can be translated to “Fresh Meat in Dubai” in English.
The second one (archived here) shows him scrolling through the first post’s engagement data on his mobile phone, confirming he is the one who posted the video.
Annie Lab contacted the original uploader for more information, but he did not provide further details to substantiate his statement that the leg is beef.
The price tags visible in the footage show both Arabic and English text, consistent with the languages used in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, not in Ukraine.
One visible tag on top of a pack of smaller cuts next to the leg reads in English, “PAKISTAN BEEF SHLDR.” Another tag also seen in the clip near the leg says “MUTTON”.
Expert analysis
Forensic anthropologist Winsome Lee, who has extensive experience identifying human remains in conflict zones and disaster sites, told Annie Lab via email that the meat in the video displays two structural characteristics that clearly distinguish it from a human leg.
Lee noted that the hip joint seen in the video is positioned horizontally.
Human hip joints, however, are angled diagonally because of the shape of the femur (thighbone), allowing for upright walking and weight-bearing on two legs.
By contrast, large quadrupeds such as horses or cattle have long, narrow pelvises with hip sockets oriented horizontally to aid weight distribution.
“This configuration aids their running and limits rotational mobility for speed,” Lee explained. “Hence, their hip joints are more functionally horizontal to be consistent with quadrupedal locomotion.”
At the opposite end of the cut, Lee noted anatomical features resembling a hoof, though she cautioned that packaging and butchering can obscure fine details.
Lee said the overall size, proportions, and form of the distal limb are “consistent with species such as a horse, buffalo, or other similar large animals.”
