Furries are individuals, members of the furry fandom, who are interested in anthropomorphic animals (animals with human-like characteristics).
A fursona means “furry persona” - an animal character, usually anthropomorphic, representing a person within the furry community.
Furries come from all backgrounds, the community is diverse in terms of age, ethnicity, gender, sexuality and other aspects of identity.
Individuals participate in a variety of activities, creating or sharing artwork or ideas, attending events, and socializing with other furries online or in person.
The community exists both virtually and physically.
Furries do not believe they are animals but rather have a character, it can be like an alter ego with animal-like features or characteristics or simply a representing character.
The furry fandom isn’t inherently related to anime; as anime grew more popular, the furry fandom drew inspiration from anime.
A lot of members of the furry fandom are also a part of the anime fandom, and there are a lot of cultural traits that overlap in both fandoms.
Not all furries have fursuits; in fact, fursuiters are a smaller fraction of the communities population.
While it is not necessary to be a furry to participate in the community, some community groups do require you to be a furry. If you are not a furry, it would be necessary to respect and understand the values, behaviors, and interests of the furry members and the community as a whole to be involved.
To get started in the furry fandom, a good place to start would be to participate in online communities, meet with furries in a meetup, and create or brainstorm a fursona if desired.
Having a fursona is a common aspect of the furry fandom, but it's not necessary to be a furry. Some members of the community have a species or animal they pick to represent them in the community instead of creating an entire fursona.