Viral trend in Argentina sees masked young people identifying as animals gather in Buenos Aires park

Описание: (27 Feb 2026)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Buenos Aires, Argentina - 22 February 2026
1. Therian wearing animal mask, walking on all fours on grass
2. Therians in animal masks crouched on floor while another jumps over them
3. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Aguara, 15, Therian, identifies as a Belgian Malinois: ++STARTS ON SHOT 1 AND PARTIALLY OVERLAID BY SHOT 4 ++
"I mean, I'm just a normal person, a functional human. I live my life like a normal human. I just have these particular moments when I'm a dog. I don't know how to explain it because it's, I mean, I just live my life like a normal human. I just have moments when I'm a dog."
4. Various of therians in trees
5. People in animal masks posing for photos
6. Wide of people gathering during therian event
7. Close of person in mask
8. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Aru, 16, therian in seal mask: +STARTS ON SHOT 4 AND PARTIALLY OVERLAID BY SHOTS
"Because Argentina is a fairly free country, let's say, the therians began going out to parks. People see someone with a mask and an animal tail and they say, 'Hey, what's this? I want to know what's going on here. I want to understand it.' The therians got more excited to go out because they said, 'Wow, people are giving me recognition'."
9. Pan of people in animal masks posing for photos
10. Therians playing game to fetch a mask on ground
11. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Susana Signorile, mother of therian: ++STARTS ON SHOT 10 AND PARTIALLY OVERLAID BY SHOTS 12 AND 13 ++
"At a certain point she felt attracted to these identities. She took on one of these identities, and realizes she's not alone. It's not just a phenomenon."
No name given, daughter (Spanish): "That I'm not crazy."
Susana Signorile (Spanish): First of all that, she's not crazy."
12. Therian community members gathering for food
13. Tilt up of therian
STORYLINE:
On a recent Sunday, a Buenos Aires plaza transformed into a makeshift wilderness for a group of teenagers.

Sofía, wearing a lifelike beagle mask, ran across the grass on all fours.

Nearby, 15-year-old Aguara leapt through the air, clearing an obstacle course mimicking the precise movements of a Belgian breed.

Others, dressed as cats and foxes, perched in the branches of trees, keeping their distance from curious onlookers.

It was the latest gathering of “therians,” individuals who say they identify mentally, spiritually or psychologically with non-human animals.

The trend has dominated Argentine social media over the past few months, gaining traction on platforms like TikTok, where the hashtag #therian has surpassed the 2 million posts, with Argentina leading all other Latin American countries in engagement.

This surge has drawn the attention of influencers and media outlets alike, sparking reactions that range from bewilderment and laughter to outright anger.

And as the movement gains traction, psychologists are stepping in to analyze the phenomenon and its place in public discourse.

“I'm just a normal person, a functional human. I live my life like a normal human. I just have these particular moments when I'm a dog," said Aguara, who claims to identify as a Belgian Malinois and calculates her age as two years and two months in dog years.

As the leader of what she calls her “pack,” Aguara — the name she identifies with — boasts more than 125,000 followers on TikTok and coordinates regular meetups around the Argentine capital.

Aru, a 16-year-old in a seal mask, said she considers herself part of the “otherpaw” branch of therians: individuals who wear masks and tails or move on all fours purely for enjoyment.







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