Crying wolf is normally starting the operation while there isn‘t a wolf.
replyThis is misdirection while there is a wolf
Similar but different
That's completely pedantic and besides it's false because there literally wasn't a wolf there where he faked the photo in the first place
replyCrying wolf is crying for help when there is no danger not when there is a danger just at different place.
replyThat's not pedantic, that's the meaning of the idiom.
If you stipulate that everyone must be relaxing at the time, sure. But the core concept of crying wolf is IMO simply a false alert with no particular constraints placed on those responding. I think in this case it simultaneously qualifies as crying wolf as well as misdirection.
replydeleted
replyBut this isn't a false alert. The alert is real, people just got misdirected.
replyIt was a false alert in that particular place. I doubt those residents who were alerted had felt like they were previously in immediate danger.
replyThis is real life there's always a danger just at a different place.
replywhat if the real criers of wolves were the sheeple we misled along the way?
replydeleted
replyle reddit mentality
replyThe biggest difference now is wolf is actually sought to protect him¹ from the crowd of the super-predators in town, so they can "give him a calm environment for recovery".
reply¹ Following pronoun variant used in the fine article here.