In Fur We Trust

Members of Singapore's furry community, a mostly online sub-culture, welcome the group's inclusive nature that allows them to be themselves without judgment

- Teo Kai Xiang

An unexpected community is offering a warm, furry solution to the epidemic of loneliness.

Every three months, on Saturday evenings, hundreds of teens and young adults sprawl across picnic mats at the Sentosa Boardwalk, surrounded by soft toys, board games and takeout meals.

While most passers-by might mistake them for anime enthusiasts or gamers, those in the know recognise them as furries, a mostly online sub-culture fast gaining ground in Singapore.

They belong to Singapore Furries, the country's largest furry community, which has more than 500 members, mostly composed of Gen Z and millennial-aged men. Many of them work in the tech sector, although furries of all stripes exist.

Furries are fans of anthropomorphic animals - animals with human characteristics, such as the characters from animated films Zootopia (2016) or Robin Hood (1973) - best known for donning colourful and elaborate "fursuits" that bring their characters to life.

"To put it in layman's terms, I would describe it as a shared passion for cartoon animals," says Lyra, a 30-year-old member of Singapore's furry community who works in the events industry and who declined to give her last name.

"But to me, it means a community of people who are free to express themselves without judgment," she adds. "The cartoon animals are just a way of expressing what's inside."

WHAT'S A FURSONA?

Unlike other fandom communities built around media franchises such as Pokemon (1997 to present) or Star Wars (1977 to present), furries create most of the media they consume themselves.

One of the sub-culture's defining practices is making up a "fursona" (short for furry persona) - a fictional anthropomorphic animal character that represents your identity within the community often different from the name you go by in everyday life.