Crawling on All Fours and Growling, Then Biting People... Why Is This Trending?

Controversy Over 'Quadrover' Imitating Animals
Growling While Dressed as Animals

In some countries including Russia, it has become a trend among teenagers to crawl on all fours while dressed as animals, mimicking animal behavior. These individuals have sparked controversy locally by exhibiting aggressive actions such as biting passersby like wild animals.

On the 15th (local time), the British newspaper The Sun reported that among teenagers in Russia and Uzbekistan, it is popular to growl and bark while wearing animal costumes. They are called quadrobers, characterized by wearing animal masks and walking on all fours. In related videos, a child dressed in an animal costume is seen walking on a leash with a woman. The woman strokes the quadrober child as if petting a cat.

[Image source=UK daily newspaper 'The Sun'·Mash]

In fact, in Uzbekistan, a teenager dressed as a dog bit a passerby, prompting police to pursue the case. Eventually, as some citizens experienced discomfort, the government declared that parents would be fined if their children engage in quadrober behavior in public places. Russia is also making efforts to regulate quadrobers. Russian authorities pointed out that quadrober behavior can cause serious harm to teenagers and affect those around them.

Russian senator Natalia Koshkina stated, "Children should be encouraged to take more interest in sports and educational activities that do not harm the mental and physical health of others."

Ekaterina Mizulina of the semi-governmental organization Safe Internet League, which assists Russian authorities with online censorship, also said, "I do not support quadrobers," adding, "We continue to receive letters related to quadrobers, reporting bullying and attacks." She further added, "We also receive letters from teenagers who say they were attacked by quadrobers while walking in parks."