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TEENAGERS dressed as furry animals and crawling on all fours have been attacking people on the streets in a bizarre new viral trend.
The craze has taken off in Russia and other Soviet republics where kids are growling, barking, meowing and even attacking others in a bid to mimic animal behaviour.
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Bizzare footage shows a group of people dressed up as furry animals crawling on the streets of Uzbekistan.
Other pictures show a teenage girl wearing a cat costume goading a dog.
A third clip shows a young kid, dressed up as a black cat and tied to a leash, walking on all fours on a public street.
The woman holding the leash can be seen petting the person as if it were a real cat.
Called the quadrobers, these people copy animal behaviour, such as movements and sounds, while wearing clothing elements like animal masks, paws and tails.
It has become a viral trend in many parts of Russia and the former Soviet Union.
Cops are now hunting for one teenager who bit at least one passerby after pretending to be a dog in Uzbekistan, the Telegraph reports.
The government has also threatened to fine the parents of such kids who are found to be quadrobing out in public.
A spokesperson said in a statement: "Experts believe that quadrobics can lead to the child taking on the aggressive actions of animals, injuring himself and others, and can lead to damage to the child’s not yet fully formed psyche, as well as to his isolation from society."
Russian lawmakers are also working to introduce a legal ban on the trend that has gone viral this year among the youth.
They say it can "seriously harm" teenagers and affect other people around them.
Natalia Kosikhina, a Russian senator, said: "I believe that we need to make sure that children are more interested in sports and educational activities that would not harm the psyche and health of others."
Yekaterina Mizulina, head of Russia’s Safe Internet League, said she was “not a supporter of quadrobics.”
She complained: "I constantly receive letters about quadrobers, they write about being bullied and attacked.
"Other letters are from teenagers who say they were attacked by quadrobers while walking in a park."
Legislator Denis Maidanov said: "At first it seemed like a game, but then, when children began to perceive it as their way of life, it was no longer a toy.
"It is obvious to me that quadrobics is not good for our children.
"There are many other ways for our children to keep themselves busy."
Quadrobics: a social media trend or a vicious anomaly?
Quadrobics is believed to have been invented by Japanese sprint runner Kenichi Ito, who set a world record in running on four limbs in an imitation of a monkey.
Teenagers have now turned it into a viral trend where they roleplay as various animals by wearing costumes and mimicking their behaviour.
The trend is said to have migrated from Japan to many parts of Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Ukraine.
While some teenagers increasingly take part in the viral trend as a pastime hobby, others claim they are fascinated by animals with human characteristics.
People who follow therianthropes - another subculture in the trend - believe that they have the souls of animals and were accidentally born as human beings.
Many experts believe the trend can have long-lasting negative effects on children’s mental health.
However, some psychologists claim that sport does not have any negative effects on society.
Vera Sukhikh, a psychotherapist and research fellow at Moscow State University, said: "Quadrobics is an advanced imaginative game that migrated from preschool age to early adolescence.
"In this sense, I do not see anything asocial…in quadrobics,” said Sukhikh.
"The game stays with a person for life as a way to have fun, distract himself, and unload emotionally."
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English (US) · 