Tails in Wales: A look into the Bangor community where people dress up like animals

A unique group in North Wales has given ITV News an inside look into how they have been able to build their confidence by joining a community which sees them dressing like their animal personas.

Tails in Wales are a group of 60 people who meet once a month in Bangor to dress up as characters called 'Furries', with many members crossing the border from Manchester, Liverpool and some further again from the Isle of Wight.

What are Furries?

'Furries' are a subculture with an interest in humanoid animal characters, with each member identifying with their own unique persona.

So far, there are four groups across Wales - in Cardiff, Aberystwyth, Llandudno and Bangor.

Although there is a large global following, there is still a stigma surrounding the Furry community.

Some members of the 'Furry' fandom in North Wales have received threats and abuse for being part of the international community.

‘The Furries’

In the ITV Cymru documentary, 'Y Furries' for Hansh, members of the Tails in Wales group spoke about the public's reaction to their characters.

Zee from Flintshire said: "Someone told me to kill myself...just for one post I've made about my suit.”

She also talked about comments from people online who have told her to "burn" herself.

However, by now, she has discovered that her character has been beneficial to her self-confidence.

She was open about her ability to socialise better as her character, Minttu.

"Minttu is just a side of me that can't come out most of the time," she said.

"I'm a different person, I don't need to be overly anxious any more…I can talk to people now.”

Another member of the group, who goes by the name Lupa, said the community was like a "big family", and that he "wouldn't have many friends" if he hadn't joined.

The opportunity to create a "different identity" while discovering a common interest with other people was attractive to him.

"Everyone knows I'm a furry... I'm one of the people who tells everyone," he said, although "most people don't understand" what the group is about.

Some more confident members of the community often take part in “fursuit walks”, where they walk around their local towns in their costumes or fursuits as they call them in the fandom.

In the documentary, Lupa's mother, Andrea Morris, takes her son for a walk as his handler ( a caretaker of the furry) to walk around their hometown, Wrexham.

"Over my dead body!" was Andrea's initial reaction to Lupa joining the Furry fandom.

She thought it was "weird" after her friends described the interest as "cosplay but more extreme".

"Once I read online, I thought it was very sexual," she said.

Although Tails in Wales is not a sexually motivated group, they are aware that that prejudice exists.

Lupa felt that the sexual groups bring "shame" to the community and that "most of the group don't like to talk about them".

Instead, they meet in the city to socialise, take photos and meet like minded people.

The documentary will be available to watch on Hansh's YouTube.

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