Young People in Argentina Are Identifying Themselves as Animals

Young people in Argentina — calling themselves “therians” — say they identify mentally, spiritually or psychologically as animals. The trend has taken over Argentine social media over the past few months, gaining traction on platforms like TikTok, where the hashtag #therian has surpassed 2 million posts. The surge has drawn the attention of the public and media outlets, sparking reactions that range from laughter and bewilderment to outright anger. As the movement gains traction, psychologists are stepping in to analyze the phenomenon and its place in public discourse. A woman named Agar, who claims to identify as a Belgian Malinois and counts her age as the equivalent of two years and two months in dog years, says she’s a lot like any other teenager. “I wake up like a normal person and live my life like a normal person,” she said. "I simply have moments when I like being a dog.” As the leader of what she calls her “pack,” Agar has more than 125,000 followers on TikTok. Aru, a 16-year-old who wore a seal mask to the park meetup, said she considers herself part of the “otherpaw” branch of therians: individuals who wear masks and tails or move on all fours just for fun. Should parents be worried? Débora Pedace, a psychologist and director of the Integral Therapeutic Center in Buenos Aires, acknowledged that the phenomenon generates a complex mix of confusion, laughter and even anger. “From a psychological standpoint, this is a symbolic identification with an animal,” Pedace said. “It becomes pathological or alarming only when it turns into a deeply rooted belief and the person fully assumes the role of an animal, potentially leading to self-harm or hurting others.”

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Spain's Successful Herbivorous “Firefighting” Donkeys

Each summer in Spain, wildfires blaze across the country. Thousands of acres are lost to flames, not only due to heat and drought but also rural abandonment. Fewer people and fewer herds means more vegetation left to grow unchecked. Some communities have found a solution as ancient as it is effective: donkeys. Bringing back donkeys, which have walked beside humans for millennia, these communities are using the animals to fight wildfires. The donkeys work in small brigades, moving silently through forests with military precision, pulling up weeds and chewing on them day after day. For just over a decade, 20 donkeys have been patrolling Doñana National Park, under the auspices of an organization called El Burrito Feliz (The Happy Little Donkey). The group rescues the animals from abandonment and turns them into what its president, Luis Manuel Bejarano, describes as “the best herbivorous firefighters.” The donkey recruits in Doñana’s Firefighting Donkey Battalion follow a tactical plan: patrolling seven hours daily from March through November along mobile firebreak lines marked by fences. Each day, they head to their assigned area, graze a strip about 130 by 50 feet, and then return to rest. By the end of the day, they’ve consumed all the flammable material in their designated area and dramatically reduced the risk of fire. It's hard work, but from the donkeys’ perspective, it’s paradise: They eat freely throughout the day, receive care and affection from caretakers and park visitors, and have shelter at night. As for the communities, they say using the donkeys for firefighting is a win-win for humans and animals alike.

 

 

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Traditional Reindeer Racing is Delighting Spectators in Finland

Reindeer racing brought hundred of fans to the city of Salla in the Lapland region of Finland over the weekend for the Salla Reindeer Cup. Around 1,000 people attended the competition, despite frigid subfreezing temperatures and the remote location near the Russian border. They watched and cheered as the reindeer galloped across the snow-covered track, pulling their handlers behind them on skis. Spectators came not only from Finland, but also Italy, Norway, Germany and France. Reindeer husbandry has been an important part of the Scandinavian culture for many decades, especially for the Sámi people in the far north of the country. Salla has a long history of reindeer racing, dating back to the 1950s. “Back then, men spent winters in the forest, there were no snowmobiles,” said Lasse Aatsinki, the head of Salla Reindeer Cup. “In late winter, the reindeer were in great shape, so they started racing them.” These days, reindeer racing is an organized and regulated competition with trained male reindeer. Only the fastest reindeer get to compete in this race. To qualify, they must run a half-mile track in 1 minute 19 seconds or less. During the race, crowds cheer their favorite reindeer with calls of “hyvä, hyvä” — which is Finnish for “good, good” — as the reindeer sprint down the final stretch. In between races, people keep warm with reindeer soup and kampanisu, a traditional local pastry. Sunday’s race saw a reindeer named Pompom win the final race. After the race, Pompom and all the other reindeer got their own reward: lichen — a combination of a fungus and an algae — that grows on trees or rocks and is the animals’ favorite treat.

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Firefighting Robot

Firefighters in South Korea will soon start deploying alongside a massive, 6-wheeled, self-cooling autonomous robot that can help to keep them safe. Hyundai recently revealed the new, driverless ground drone, which can survive a 1000º F blaze. The firefighting robot uses a self-spraying system that continuously cools it with water, keeping its external temperature between 122º and 140º degrees. Built atop a chassis initially intended for military use, the firefighting robot looks like something out of a sci-fi film. The truck can reach speeds of up to 31mph. More importantly for firefighting, its chassis lets it climb inclines of up to 60%, meaning it can reliably access sloped areas like underground parking lots and warehouse ramps. The robot has a massive hose that can both douse fires and illuminate dark areas to help in search-and-rescue missions. It also has thermal imaging sensors that can see through thick smoke. Hyundai says the goal is to send the bright red behemoth into dangerous areas ahead of firefighters to start tackling blazes and map out safe escape routes. Though it’s unclear how much each of these robots cost, Hyundai says it has already donated two of them to a pair of firefighting stations in South Korea, with two more on the way.

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