British newspaper The Daily Mail has published a report claiming that a child in Scotland “identifies as a wolf” and is given special support from school staff. The newspaper says the case has been referred to as “species dysphoria”.

The report has been picked up by media outlets around the globe including the Western Australian based The Nightly, which is part of the 7West media stable.

The reports are scant on details with the newspaper declaring they’ve chosen not to reveal the specific council area where the report has emerged from, but they officials have used the Scottish Government’s Getting It Right For Every Child resource that aims to remove barriers that prevent effective learning in the education system.

The reports also cite a psychologist Dr Tommy Mackay who notes that there is no such thing as “species dysphoria” before adding “It’s not surprising that we are seeing this in an age when many people want to identify as something other than they are.”

Dr Mackay’s advice is children who want to be something other than they are, should be told to “snap out of it”.

The lack of detail in the report hasn’t stopped newspapers from around the world picking up on “howling mad” puns and columnists venting their rage about acceptance of people who are a little bit different.

When asked about the claims the Scottish government declined to comment.

Is the claim genuine? Or it should be filed alongside the claims from 6PR that Perth police officers are identifying as rabbits, or their claim that local school kids are identifying as cats, it’s a claim that’s been made by religious leader Margaret Court too.

Is this just another case of an often-repeated urban myth that appeared across the USA, the UK, and Canada?

From Brisbane and Melbourne to Indiana, Ohio, Utah, Idaho, Michigan, Arkansas, Texas and Canada, there have been claims of students identify as cats, and time and time again it’s been thoroughly debunked as an urban myth.

The stories never have any directly verifiable information, they’re always cases of hearsay based on second or third hand accounts.

The story also was follows the same template accepting diversity has gone too far and now delusional people are being given special treatment. Often its students identify as cats demanding to have kitty little trays in the bathroom, or a variation is they’ve asked for lower tables in the cafeteria so they eat from bowls not using their hands.

As Australian schools don’t have cafeterias when the story began appearing locally it was adapted to students are allowed to cut holes in their uniforms for their tails.

Last year GB News host Patrick Christys said he knew of cases of British children identifying as cats, dogs, dinosaurs, horses – and even in one case – the moon! 

While hundreds of cases have been claimed they never seem to be able to track them down to the source. Maybe The Daily Mail has got it right. Maybe there is a student in Scotland who believe they are a wolf.

As soon as they can share all the details, we’ll be the first to acknowledge they’re in the unfortunate situation of being a newspaper who cried wolf.

Do you need some support?

If you are struggling with anxiety or depression, support and counselling are available from:

QLife: 1800 184 527 / qlife.org.au (Webchat 3pm – midnight)
QLife are a counselling and referral service for LGBTQIA+ people.

DISCHARGED: info@discharged.asn.au / discharged.asn.au
Discharged is a trans-led support service with peer support groups for trans and gender diverse folks.

Lifeline: 13 11 14 / lifeline.org.au

Beyondblue: 1300 22 4636 / www.beyondblue.org.au