In August 2025, reports appeared on the RuNet about a resident of Wyoming who, in a full wolf costume, went into the wild, where he was bitten by predatory animals. We checked the authenticity of the viral story.
The news of the injured man, who wanted to live with the wolves, was widely circulated on social networks and entertainment sites. For example, this is how it was presented on the portal “I cried": "A Wyoming man who identifies with a wolf (the furry movement) tried to join a real wolf pack, but it didn't end well for him. Brian Sanders, 28, took to the wild in a matching suit complete with a bushy tail and plastic claws. Seeing the wolves, he began to move on all fours and, as a gesture of goodwill, threw a raw hamburger to the animals. Unfortunately, they behaved like natural homophobes and not only did not accept Sanders into the flock, but also bit him badly. The matter ended in hospitalization.” The publication was accompanied by a photo of a man in a wolf suit next to a real wolf.
According to the TGStat service, at the time of writing this analysis, about 70 similar Russian-language posts had appeared on Telegram, which in total received more than 600,000 views. Channels wrote about Sanders Nina Vatt (127,000 views), 4ch (114,000), "Dmitry Vasilets"(105,000), "Savanichi"(82,000), "The goat screamed"(79,000),"Runet trends"(67,000), "Russia now"(33,000), "Favorite VPS"(31,000), etc. The story about the wolf man can also be found on VKontakte (examples here, here And here).
To begin with, we note that community representatives furry are interested in art and culture related to anthropomorphic animals - creatures with human-like features. In the news we are analyzing, rather, it is described quadrober, that is, a person who imitates the actions and habits of animals, wearing a special suit, imitating appropriate sounds and moving on all fours.
Some of the publications mentioned at the beginning of this analysis contain a screenshot of an English-language post from the Casper Planet Facebook account*. It was this page that was the primary source of the news about Brian Sanders, who considers himself a wolf. Corresponding entry appeared there on August 13, 2025 and received 127,000 likes and 41,000 shares. At the same time, in the original Sanders was called a resident of Colorado, but he allegedly suffered in Wyoming. Below is the full translation of the original post:
"A self-proclaimed 'wolf furry' from Fort Collins (city in Colorado - Ed.) is recovering in a Wyoming hospital after trying to join a real pack of wild wolves near Togoti Pass.
According to the Wyoming Conservation Service, 28-year-old Lupus Munhaul (lupus in Latin means "wolf", moonhowl from English - "moon howl" - Ed.), whose real name is Brian Sanders, was seen crawling on all fours in a full faux fur suit with a tail, plastic fangs and a Bluetooth speaker playing a recorded howl. Witnesses say Sanders approached the wolves, throwing raw hamburger meat in their direction "as a sign of friendship."
The wolves reportedly responded by chasing Sanders nearly 300 yards (a little more 274 m. — Approx. ed.), and then “tested his endurance” with a series of bites and blows. A game warden at the scene described the encounter as: "This is the first time I've seen someone regret their lifestyle choices so quickly."
Sanders suffered multiple bite wounds, torn synthetic fur and "severe emotional distress." When reporters asked him if he would try to return to the pack after his recovery, he replied: "Probably not... They weren't very keen on role-playing."
The State of Wyoming reminds the public that while wolves are adorable animals, they do not accept cosplay submissions.”
Many Internet users took this news as real because they did not pay attention to description Casper Planet pages. “We deliver unnecessary News directly to your News Feed. Did we mention this is satirical news? Well, that’s exactly them, the names and places are made up,” the account’s authors pointed out without hiding. Moreover, in the address column indicated Satire streets. In other words, Casper Planet publishes only fake news about the state of Wyoming, which is often accompanied by images from neural networks.
August 14 it turned out a continuation of Sanders' story that didn't go as viral as the original (18,000 likes, 7,000 shares). A "wolf furry" called the attack on him by wolves in Wyoming a simple misunderstanding, according to a new post.
“Yellowstone National Park officials have confirmed that a self-identified furry wolf man from Colorado who was critically injured this morning after attempting to join a pack of wild wolves has come forward.
Speaking from his hospital bed, wearing the remains of a torn gray faux fur suit, the man insisted the wolves were "just establishing their hierarchy" and the attack was "more of a rough greeting hug." He added: "I think I'm accepted. I'll try again next month when they're less hungry."
The rangers strongly opposed the plan, noting that they had already seen a pack urinate on a man's severed tail, and "in wolf culture it's kind of restraining order".
Locals are now placing bets on whether his next attempt will require another helicopter evacuation or whether one sturdy mop will suffice.”
Analysis of the story of a man in a wolf costume who was harmed by wild animals in Wyoming, released and our American colleagues from Snopes. By Casper Planet wrote, that they love this fact-checking project, and even shared a link to its refutation. Over the past few years, Snopes journalists have repeatedly sorted it out and other fabrications from this satirical Facebook account.
Thus, reports of an American who tried to join a pack of wild wolves in an animal costume and ended up in hospital are based on a satirical blog post on Facebook.
*Russian authorities think Meta Platforms Inc., which owns the social network Facebook, is an extremist organization; its activities and symbols are prohibited in Russia.
Cover photo: @casperplanet / Facebook
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