Fact check: In 2015, engineers at Belfast Zoo discovered a hidden, brick-lined tunnel beneath the elephant enclosure.

Verdict: false — Trust Score 5/100

The claims regarding a hidden tunnel and paranormal activity at Belfast Zoo reported by official Belfast City Council records and local news archives. While the zoo is a real location that has undergone recent renovations, the specific events described—including the 2015 tunnel discovery and the 12:03 AM sightings—are fictional horror tropes created for entertainment.

Platform
tiktok
Source author
real.life.scary.stories — see all fact-checks of this account
Original post
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZNR3T9LYJ/
Verified on
June 20, 2026
Verification ID
tF2ZdgZmKLdSjtq7xR7ZMQ

Original content reviewed

Platform: TIKTOK Author: @real.life.scary.stories --- Caption/Description --- Have you heard about these weird noises at Belfast Zoo? #animation #truestory #didyouknow #storytime #belfastzoo --- Audio Transcript (What was said) --- Belfast Zoo has stood on Cave Hill for nearly a century, but staff say something still moves beneath the ground. In 2,015, engineers repairing an old drainage pipe found a hidden tunnel under the elephant enclosure, brick lined, narrow, and heading toward the forest beyond the zoo. They sent a camera inside to check for damage. The feed showed scattered bones, animal maybe, and something else. Scratches along the walls shaped like handprints. At night, the same section of tunnel triggered a motion alarm. A keeper went to check, but the signal from his radio cut out halfway down the path. When the others arrived, they found his torch lying by the drain, the bulb still warm. The camera feed later showed the lens fogging over, as if someone had breathed directly onto it. Then a single whisper close to the mic. Don't dick. They sealed the tunnel the next morning, but workers say the soil above it shifts at night, like something underneath is still trying to move. Last year, construction began nearby for a new visitor center. Within days, machinery failed. Every night at exactly 12:03, a M1 operator said he saw shapes moving beneath the bulb lights. Not animals, but figures, crawling just under the surface, dragging the soil close behind them. Now, after dark, guards patrolling that path, they. They hear tapping beneath their boots. Slow, rhythmic, like knuckles on stone, counting each step they take. Comment? Belfast Zoo incident. So I know you made it. To the end --- On-Screen Text (OCR) --- BUT ZOO ZO --- BELFAST ZOO 2,015 --- FOREST --- SHOWED --- TUNNEL --- HIS ZOO --- STAFF STAFF TORCH --- CCTV THE 00:21:37 --- SINGLE --- UNDERNEATH --- AT 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 --- SECURITY MOVING SECU --- BELFAST ZOO SECURITY BOOTS SECURITY --

Claims analyzed (5)

  1. false: In 2015, engineers at Belfast Zoo discovered a hidden, brick-lined tunnel beneath the elephant enclosure.
    There are no news reports or official zoo records from 2015 or any other year describing the discovery of a tunnel beneath the elephant enclosure. The most famous elephant-related story at the zoo is the 'Elephant Angel' from WWII.
  2. false: A camera sent into the Belfast Zoo tunnel recorded scattered bones and handprint-shaped scratches on the walls.
    This is a common horror trope found in 'creepypasta' stories. No such footage or forensic report exists in any public or zoo-affiliated database.
  3. false: A zoo keeper's radio signal failed and their warm torch was found abandoned near the tunnel entrance.
    There are no incident reports or missing person cases involving Belfast Zoo staff and a 'hidden tunnel.' All staff safety incidents are strictly recorded by the Belfast City Council.
  4. unverifiable: Construction of a new visitor center at Belfast Zoo began in 2023 or 2024.
    While Belfast Zoo has a long-term 'Transformation Plan' (2022-2025) and recently added a Changing Places facility and a new train service in 2026, the specific 'visitor center' construction described in the video is not linked to any reported paranormal or machinery issues. No independent external source was found for this claim; the submitted post and social reposts are not counted as verification evidence.
  5. false: Construction machinery at Belfast Zoo failed repeatedly, and operators reported seeing figures crawling under the soil at 12:03 AM.
    These details are purely fictional and characteristic of horror storytelling. No construction logs or worker testimonies support these claims.

Sources consulted (6)

Related verifications

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