2000 Furries treffen sich im Estrel

You are Furries. Thus, the global movement usually called young people who like to dress up themselves because of their love for animals as animals and spend their leisure time in the self-made fur dress or like to draw animals and cartoons and make costumes. To Eurofurence convention, Europe's largest meeting of its kind, more than 2,000 furries from thirty countries in Berlin are the same arrived, also from Japan, Brazil, Russia and Norway. For the first time the global meeting place here, in front of the community met in Magdeburg.

Spend about 500 euros for the Furries in the coming days at the Estrel and experience there is a full program, modeled on the American crime series, CSI Berlin under the motto is. A molecular biologist talks about securing DNA evidence, animal lovers donate to a bat project in Erfurt. There are workshops for sewing their own costumes, shows, concerts and dance competitions. 300 Artists occur. Also a flirt and Introductory Course will be offered. Because even Furries can be shy. And prefer to stay anonymous.Fixed rules and roles they have not."Everyone shall determine for itself what a Furry he wants to be," says Michael Graf, one of the organizers. And everyone Furry associate with a particular animal also special properties, says Earl. Think of the cunning fox, the lone wolf and a cat that moves elegantly. These movements can take on in his role."And then you can dive into his fantasy world."

In this world, a woman who calls herself Tshania moves. She is wearing a large cat's head made of white faux fur. The big cats eyes are so realistic design that makes you feel observed. Tshania is 27 years old, comes from Hesse and works as a Women's Clothing Tailor. She is for the first time at a Furry meeting."I think it's great that everyone is so open and loving each other," she says. She was even more introverted.

In fact, the scene is like at the Estrel a big cuddle party. Hugs, kisses, Streicheleien. The Eurofurence Convention is a gathering of two-legged stuffed animals. You can see happy faces when they are not hiding under an animal mask. Tshania says, her costume did she dedicated her dead cat, with whom she has lived for nineteen years. Seventeen animal costumes has now made Tshania."I'm having fun in dressing up," she says, "but I'm also like a man."

There are circulating so strange stories about the estimated 8,000 Furries in Germany. Some would spend whole weekends in costume, literally live out a fetish. One is reminded of the movie "Finster World", in which the policeman Tom, played by Ronald Zehrfeld, in pink bear costume with other furries meet in a secluded hall. A police officer in a bear costume. Funny.

"Some people react funny and find what we do, unnatural," says a man who Quack, the Husky is called. Therefore, he wants to tell anything definite about his private life. Only so much: he was twenty years old, working in Hamburg in the environmental and love dogs. Quack should be a naughty dog, with thick, strong legs that can also dance well.

Then Quack takes off his thick dog's head and stroking the sweaty hair to the side. A pleasant young man comes to light, open and confident."My parents are surfing when they were young," he says."And I wear for fun sometimes just a dog costume."