What they’ve done is reprehensible but this is simply misinformation, that livestream has been up for weeks.
Einstein’s most famous equation relates mass and energy: E=mc^2 . So, if you’re not matter (mass), you’re energy. Which, by the way, is how we make energy in fusion reactions, converting mass to energy.
I don’t know, if I were surprised by a panther I think I would also be shocked and say holy shit, haha. How should I react to not get hirt?