A Mexico City meetup for therians — or people who identify strongly with non-human animals, and sometimes dress up like them and emulate their behaviors — became a media spectacle after it was announced. Reporters expected to find a growing online community coming together in real life. But only one participant showed up. The larger crowd was made up of journalists, influencers and live-streamers, revealing a deeper story about online identity, and how social media can make small communities look larger than they are. The World’s Tibisay Zea reports from Mexico City.