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Furry pornography

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For the film festival known as YIFF, see Yerevan International Film Festival.
Various examples of original character depicting furry porn (left to right): AI-generated anime art of a lizard girl · a sexually suggestive foxgirl (kitsune-inspired Kemonā character) · an orca making an ahegao face and participating in macrophilia and vorarephilia · a giraffe and humanoid depicting interspecies public sex

Furry pornography refers to a genre of pornography or erotic material depicting anthropomorphic animal characters engaging in lascivious behavior or sexual intercourse, commonly associated with the furry fandom.[1][2] Such material may include visual art, animation, literature, and video games. While some material depicts original characters other consists of erotic art of fan art, fan fiction, fan film, fan games, and other forms of fan labor.

The older term yiff describes sexual activity or pornographic content involving these characters. Such content is distributed on imageboards and other online platforms, and may also be produced using traditional digital art or with generative AI tools to make generative AI pornography.[3]

Furry conventions usually have strict policies regulating where furry pornography can be displayed or sold.[4] Yiff has also been used as a pejorative by critics of the fandom, such as in the phrase "yiff in hell".[1] Additionally, the term is also used in the plushie fetish community.[5] Animal roleplay such as HuCow or pup play relates to a fetishism that is not necessarily connected to furry pornography or the furry fandom.[6] Furry pornography involves fictional anthropomorphic characters rather than real animals, and is distinguished from zoophilia or bestiality.[7][8]

History

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Background

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Main articles: Rule 34, Cartoon pornography, and History of zoophilia

Fictional characters in fan culture predate the current furry fandom by decades, and sexual and mythical portrayals of people, animals, and anthropomorphic beings have existed for centuries. Classical mythology in culture and works discussing sexuality in ancient Rome included stories of bestiality, such as Leda and the Swan and the birth of the Minotaur from Pasiphaë's mating with a bull. Other historical examples of bestiality include, the 19th-century Kinoe no Komatsu, Japanese shunga erotica work of The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife which depicts tentacle erotica.[9][10]

As early as the 1920s, erotic mini-comics known as Tijuana bibles depicted fictional figures.[11] In fan culture, slash fiction is a genre of fan fiction centered on romantic or sexual relationships between same-sex characters. Works involving characters from Star Trek, particularly Kirk/Spock, circulated among fans as early as the 1970s.[12] Many of these works drew inspiration from the 1967 Star Trek episode "Amok Time", which introduced the Vulcan mating cycle known as pon farr in which Vulcan males must mate or die.[13] Similar concepts appeared in Ursula K. Le Guin's 1969 novel The Left Hand of Darkness, which depicted an extraterrestrial androgynous society with hermaphroditic characters.[14]

By the 2000s, the internet adage "Rule 34" that anything that exists will have pornographic content of it.[15] The otherkin culture developed primarily as an online community in the 1990s. Therian subculture (or therianthropes) are individuals who identify as, in a psychological or spiritual sense, one or more nonhuman animals.[16][17] Animal-transformation themes, such as werewolves and other shapeshifting human-animal hybrids, also appeared in franchises such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Twilight, Teen Wolf, and Harry Potter promoted ideas surrounding the speculative erotic fiction known as the omegaverse.[18]

In related fandom spaces, including the My Little Pony franchise (especially My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic and My Little Pony: Equestria Girls), erotic fan art known as clop developed within segments of the brony fandom (the adult fandom of Friendship Is Magic that emerged on the Internet in the early 2010s). The 2014 reality television show, Sexy Beasts is a dating game show where contestants are made to resemble animals through prosthetic makeup.[19] BookTok is a subcommunity on the TikTok social media platform that emerged in the late 2010s and focuses on books and literature. Within it, some discuss romance novels and erotic literature depicting monsters and monster girls, themes associated with teratophilia, or sexual attraction to monsters, often referred to as monster erotica or ""Monster-Fucker" media[20][21][22] A 2024 article in The Guardian discussed the growing popularity of erotica and Omegaverse fiction described broader cultural shifts.[23] More broadly, commentators have noted changing attitudes toward erotic media, with increasing visibility of niche genres and online communities in mainstream discourse.[24]

A ponified version (ponysona) of the Harkness Test of Wikipe-tan.

Fans of furry pornography commonly distinguish it from zoophilia or bestiality, emphasizing that their interest is toward fictional characters depicted as sapient beings with human-like traits rather than real animals.[7][8]

The Harkness Test is a set of criteria used in online communities to evaluate the ethical implications of fictosexuality relationships. Nijikon refers to attraction toward fictional characters, particularly in media such as anime and manga (including hentai), while a fictional character to whom one feels attraction is sometimes referred to as a "waifu." Related online fandom phenomena include the "Tumblr Sexyman," a fictional character popularized online as a sex symbol.

Genres

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A furry in a hosesuit, depicting themes associated with Omorashi and Paraphilic infantilism
A furry in a hosesuit, a type of fetishistic ABDL latex bodysuit for inhaling one's own flatulence
A example of "TF" from an anthropomorphic goat into a laptop charger
Clop-themed forced coprophilia[25]
The 20 most frequently tagged characters on e621 (May 2026)[‡ 1]
Rank Character Franchise Tagged images
1 Twilight Sparkle My Little Pony 40,893
2 Judy Hopps Zootopia 40,508
3 Lucario Pokémon 36,944
4 Rouge the Bat Sonic the Hedgehog 32,210
5 Renamon Digimon Tamers 31,464
6 Fluttershy My Little Pony 31,839
7 Nick Wilde Zootopia 30,922
8 Rainbow Dash My Little Pony 30,533
9 Loona Helluva Boss 30,290
10 Rarity My Little Pony 26,889
11 Sonic the Hedgehog Sonic the Hedgehog 26,600
12 Pinkie Pie My Little Pony 26,157
13 Amy Rose Sonic the Hedgehog 24,104
14 Gardevoir Pokémon 23,975
15 Umbreon Pokémon 23,556
16 Applejack My Little Pony 22,565
17 Princess Celestia My Little Pony 22,381
18 Eevee Pokémon 22,213
19 Miles "Tails" Prower Sonic the Hedgehog 21,482
20 Princess Luna My Little Pony 21,370

Genres of furry pornography often incorporate fetishism and sexual kinks through anthropomorphic animal characters ("fursonas").[26] Common depictions include muscle worship, adipophilia ("thicc"), and species commonly associated with the furry fandom such as foxes, wolves, dogs, and cats, as well as mythical creatures including dragons, kumiho (kitsune).[27] Some works depict "feral" characters, which are non-anthropomorphic animals portrayed with no human traits, typically represented as four-legged and animalistic rather than upright or speaking.[28] "Cub" pornography involves young or young-looking characters, similar to lolicon and shotacon, and is highly controversial.[29]

Transformation ("TF") pornography depicts fursonas or humans changing into animals or other species, while hybrid characters combine traits from multiple species.[26] Other themes include size-difference fantasies associated with macrophilia, body inflation, and "Mpreg" (male pregnancy), as well as BDSM dynamics.[30] Related forms of roleplay, such as pet play, are not necessarily associated with the furry fandom.[6]

Certain fictional characters have become widely recognized as subjects of sexualized fan content, including Lola Bunny from Looney Tunes whom is regarded as an animated sex symbol.[31] Robin Hood (1973 film)'s, depiction of Maid Marian.[32][33][34] Among other such as Tony the Tiger, whom has been the subject of sexualized fan content.[35][36][37]

A drawing over a screenshot of the English Wikipedia page for Clop (erotic fan art), showing hardcore fetish art.

Characters from My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic are often featured in My Little Pony erotic fan art, often referred to as clop. Similar patterns appear in other fandoms, including characters like Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde from Zootopia.[38] Fans of the Sonic the Hedgehog fandom have occasionally drawn fetish art of Sonic from Sonic the Hedgehog media franchise.[39] Other examples include Pokémon and pornography, such examples are Lucario,[40] Lopunny,[41][42] Eevee's evolutions (especially Vaporeon[43]), Meowscarada[42], and Gardevoir are Pokémon particularly known for being sexualized.[28]

Etymology and terminology

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See also: Furry fandom § History

The word yiff originated as an onomatopoetic word in a constructed language known as Foxish. The word is derived from the sound of foxes mating.[44] Foxish was created in 1990 by the user littlefox on an online, text-based role-playing game called FurryMUCK. Initially, the term conveyed a non-sexual, positive exclamation. Another word in the Foxish language that did have sexual connotation was yipp.[45][46]

The CSI episode "Fur and Loathing", which aired on 30 October 2003, increased awareness of the term outside of the furry fandom while misrepresenting and inadvertently contributing to the negative stigma commonly associated with the furry fandom.[47] The word yiff became mainstream later that decade from anti-furry rhetoric on sites like 4chan.[48]

According to Google Trends, Google searches for the term were more prevalent during the 2000s and 2010s, reaching a peak during June 2010 before steadily declining outside of a brief rise in November 2020.[49]

Community practices

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Furry conventions and online platforms commonly maintain policies regulating the display and distribution of sexually explicit material. Some furry conventions also use age-restricted badges and limit access to adult-oriented events, artwork, and activities involving sexually explicit material.[10] Platforms that host anthropomorphic artwork, such as Newgrounds, e621, Pornhub, DeviantArt, and Fur Affinity, use moderation systems to manage such content.[50][51] Dedicated furry pornography Reddit communities (subreddits) also exist.[28]

DeviantArt prohibits pornographic or explicitly sexual material, although "tasteful" nudity is permitted and explicit pornographic material can be easily located on-site despite its banned status. Access to mature content is restricted to account-registered users who are aged 18 and over.[52][53]

Fur Affinity, a website dedicated to anthropomorphic artwork, uses access restrictions to separate adult material from general audiences.[54] Content marked as "not safe for work" (NSFW) is limited to registered users over 18. The site prohibits content that includes sexual roleplay, but excludes discussion of adult themes, provided they aren't explicit. The site also prohibits material depicting underage characters.[55]

Analysis and studies

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Sexual aspects in the furry fandom include furry-themed erotic artwork and cybersex.[56]

The International Anthropomorphic Research Project (IARP), a team of social scientists, has been collecting data on the furry fandom. The (IARP) have found that many furries separate their fursonas from sexual activity, while others describe the fandom as a space for experimentation with identity, gender expression, and sexuality.[57]

In an earlier online survey, 33% of furry respondents answered that they have a "significant sexual interest in furry", another 46% stated they have a "minor sexual interest in furry", and the remaining 21% stated they have a "non-sexual interest in furry". The survey specifically avoided adult-oriented websites to prevent bias.[58]

Another survey at a furry convention in 2013 found that 96.3% of male furry respondents reported viewing furry pornography, compared with 78.3% of females; males estimated that 50.9% of all furry art they view is pornographic, compared with 30.7% of females. The respondents to the survey had a slight preference for pornographic furry artwork over non-pornographic artwork. 17.1% of males reported that when they viewed pornography, it was exclusively or near-exclusively furry pornography, and about 5% reported that pornography was the top factor that got them into the fandom.[59]

Media and cultural context

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Furry pornography has occasionally been referenced in mass media coverage discussing internet culture and online subcultures. In some cases, it has appeared in reporting on criminal investigations or controversial incidents. In coverage of the 2024 attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Pennsylvania, some media outlets reported that Thomas Crooks participated in platforms hosting "furry" or anthropomorphic fan art, such as DeviantArt.[60][61] Some activity included engagement cartoon pornography.[62][63]

Media coverage surrounding the assassination of Charlie Kirk reported that investigators found the spent cartridge case was inscribed with "Notices Buldge OwO what's this?" [sic], referencing an internet meme associated with furry and gaming subcultures that uses emoticons to represent a wide-eyed cat face.[64][65][66]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Austin, Jessica Ruth (26 August 2021). Fan Identities in the Furry Fandom. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. p. 142. ISBN 978-1-5013-7542-2. Archived from the original on 28 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  2. ^ Lardner, Richard; Sullivan, Eileen; Hoyer, Meghan (4 January 2016). "Pentagon data on child sex crimes in the military doesn't show full picture". PBS News Hour. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
  3. ^ Cole, Samantha (27 July 2022). "This Furry Porn AI Generates a Sexual 'Hindquarters' Image Every 40 Seconds". Vice (magazine). Retrieved 6 May 2026.
  4. ^ Bronner, Simon J.; Clark, Cindy Dell (21 March 2016). Youth Cultures in America [2 volumes]. ABC-CLIO. p. 276. ISBN 978-1-4408-3392-2. Archived from the original on 28 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  5. ^ Dalzell, Tom; Victor, Terry (27 November 2014). The Concise New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English. Routledge. p. 855. ISBN 978-1-317-62512-4. Archived from the original on 28 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  6. ^ a b Tania (29 October 2024). "What is the Difference Between a Furry and Pup Play?". Smitizen. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
  7. ^ a b Zidenberg, Alexandra M.; Olver, Mark E. (November 2022). "Measurement and Correlates of Zoophilic Interest in an Online Community Sample". Archives of Sexual Behavior. 51 (8): 4179–4193. doi:10.1007/s10508-022-02429-x. ISSN 1573-2800. PMID 36192665.
  8. ^ a b Migala, Jessica (13 November 2021). "I'm turned on by furry porn. Does that mean I'm attracted to animals?". NOCD. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
  9. ^ Winters, Scarlet Lee (11 April 2022). "Walking on the Wild Side: Delving into Husbandos and Waifus". Medium. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
  10. ^ a b Notopoulos, Katie (19 June 2012). "Are Furries Really So Bad?". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
  11. ^ Burdfield, Claire (2015). "Finding Bronies – The accidental audience of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic". Journal of Popular Television. 3 (1). Intellect: 127–134. doi:10.1386/jptv.3.1.127_1.
  12. ^ Grant, Drew (19 August 2011). "Five pop culture items we missed". Salon.com. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
  13. ^ Busse 2013, p. 294
  14. ^ Valens, Ana (21 December 2020). "Welcome to the 'omegaverse,' the kinky erotica genre reimagining bodies". The Daily Dot.
  15. ^ Edwards, Patrick; Chadborn, Daniel P.; Plante, Courtney N.; Reysen, Stephen; Redden, Marsha Howze (11 September 2019). Meet the Bronies: The Psychology of the Adult My Little Pony Fandom. United States: McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers. p. 76. ISBN 978-1-4766-6371-5.
  16. ^ Silverman, Ben (May 2020). "Fursonas: Furries, Community, and Identity Online" (PDF). MIT Comparative Media Studies/Writing.
  17. ^ Matthews, Dylan (10 December 2014). "9 questions about furries you were too embarrassed to ask". Vox (website). Retrieved 6 May 2026.
  18. ^ Busse 2013, p. 291
  19. ^ Song, Victoria (23 June 2021). "Netflix's Latest Dating Series Puts Monster Kink at the Forefront". Gizmodo. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
  20. ^ Jones, C. T. (29 January 2023). "What's the Drama in BookTok's 'Monster-F-cker' Erotica Community?". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  21. ^ Gould, Emily (24 June 2024). "How I Fell For Monster Sex Books". The Cut (publication). Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  22. ^ James, Samuel D. (29 September 2025). "Tyler Robinson and the Violence of Porn". First Things. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  23. ^ Woolf, Nicky (28 July 2024). "'Why are people always pointing the finger at furries?': inside the wild world of the furry fandom". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
  24. ^ Williams, Zoe (6 October 2024). "My weeks of reading hornily: steamy book sales have doubled – and I soon found out why". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
  25. ^ Notopoulos, Katie (21 November 2013). "The Terrifyingly Violent New Genre Of "My Little Pony Fan" Art". Buzzfeednews.com. Retrieved 22 May 2026. The following themes are repeated: [...] Forced feces eating
  26. ^ a b "Horny for Hybrids: Why do we find half-human half-animal characters hot?". Massive Magazine. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  27. ^ Tania (11 November 2024). "The 7 Most Popular Furry Porn Genres Explained". Silicone Masks, Silicone Muscle-Smitizen. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  28. ^ a b c Greenhill, Richard (19 December 2018). "Pokémon Porn Exists If You Gotta Smash 'Em All". Vice (magazine). Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  29. ^ Radulovic, Petrana (30 January 2019). "Discord's lax policy on furry 'cub content' leads to user outcry". Polygon.com. Retrieved 22 May 2026.
  30. ^ Hall, Alexandra (4 July 2021). "Sonic Smut Is Flooding Trump's New Social Network". Kotaku. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  31. ^ Wilding, Robin (1 May 2012). "25 Sexiest Cartoon Babes". Animation Career Review. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  32. ^ Spiegel, Josh (16 May 2023). "Disney's Robin Hood is still a life-changing furry phenomenon". Polygon (website). Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  33. ^ Milner, Sarah Bea (8 November 2023). "Disney's Robin Hood: The Film That Launched 1000 Furries". That Shelf. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  34. ^ "How did Disney inspire Furry fandom? A look at early influences by Fred Patten". Dogpatch Press. 18 March 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  35. ^ Hern, Alex (29 January 2016). "Cereal offenders: Tony the Tiger begs furries to stop tweeting him porn". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  36. ^ Feinberg, Ashley (12 October 2018). "Was Tony The Tiger Driven Off Twitter By Unbelievably Horny Furries?". HuffPost. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  37. ^ "Tony the Tiger blocks sexual fetish fans on Twitter | Fox News Video". Fox News. 28 January 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  38. ^ Gaudette, Emily (1 March 2016). "'Zootopia' Is a Deliberate, Definitive, and Probably Sensual Fantasy for Furries". Inverse (website). Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  39. ^ Alexander, Leigh (4 April 2014). "Sonic the Hedgehog: how fans have subverted a fallen mascot". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  40. ^ V, Amber (7 July 2023). "Japanese users rattled by results of "The top 100 most "pornified" media franchises" ranking". AUTOMATON WEST. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  41. ^ "Pokemon Legends: Arceus fans are obsessed with giant 'sexy' Lopunny". The Irish Sun. 24 January 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  42. ^ a b Chapman, Tom (3 March 2022). "Game Freak, Please Don't Make Sprigatito Sexy". GGRecon. Archived from the original on 12 February 2026. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  43. ^ "Vaporeon". Know Your Meme. 29 May 2026. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  44. ^ Athnasious, Monica (28 May 2021). "What is furry art exactly and what's the hype about? Here's everything you need to know". SCREENSHOT Media. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  45. ^ "yiff | Slang | Dictionary.com". www.dictionary.com. 1 March 2018. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
  46. ^ Parsons, Zack (28 July 2009). Your Next-Door Neighbor Is a Dragon:. Kensington Publishing Corp. ISBN 978-0-8065-3301-8.
  47. ^ "Fur and Loathing". CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Season 4. Episode 5. 30 October 2003. CBS.
  48. ^ Valens, Ana (13 September 2019). "What does 'yiff' mean, and why do furries use it?". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on 13 September 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  49. ^ "Google Trends". Google Trends. Archived from the original on 29 May 2024. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  50. ^ "'Adult' furry erotica site hacked". The BBC. 21 November 2018. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
  51. ^ Cole, Samantha (22 December 2020). "Pornhub's Content Purge Has Left Fetish Creators Wondering What's Next". VICE. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
  52. ^ "What is DeviantArt's policy around sexual, erotic, and fetish themes?". DeviantArt. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
  53. ^ "What is Mature Content?". DeviantArt. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
  54. ^ Plunkett, Luke (27 January 2021). "Fallout Mod Pulled After Artist Allegedly Posts "Animated Pedophillic Content"". Kotaku. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
  55. ^ "Code of Conduct -- Fur Affinity [dot] net". Fur Affinity. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
  56. ^ "I like dressing up as a bear during sex". women.timesonline.co.uk. 8 December 2007. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
  57. ^ Cahill, Jennifer Fumiko (12 February 2015). "Fur Real Humboldt furries open up about the fandom, the furor and the freedom of fur". North Coast Journal. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  58. ^ Evans, Kyle (2008). "The Furry Sociological Survey" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 September 2013. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
  59. ^ Plante, C. N.; Reysen, S.; Roberts, S. E.; Gerbasi, K. C. (2013). "Furry Fiesta 2013 Summary". International Anthropomorphic Research Project.
  60. ^ Samsel, Stephanie (17 November 2025). "Trump would-be assassin in Butler had massive 'digital footprint,' alleges columnist". Fox News. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
  61. ^ James, Samuel D. (29 September 2025). "Tyler Robinson and the Violence of Porn". First Things. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
  62. ^ Johnson, Benny (18 November 2025). "Probe reveals Trump shooter Thomas Crooks's links to 'furry' porn; MAGA says 'kid was programmed' to kill president". The Times of India. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
  63. ^ "What the hell? Both Trump and Kirk shooters had 'furry' fetishes". worldtribune.com. 17 November 2025. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
  64. ^ Nguyen, Tina (12 September 2025). "Charlie Kirk's alleged killer scratched bullets with a Helldivers combo and a furry sex meme". The Verge. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
  65. ^ Bajaj, Yash Nitish (17 September 2025). "Tyler Robinson's 'sickening' porn searches revealed; Charlie Kirk shooter played 'Furry Shades of Gay' game". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
  66. ^ Reilly, Patrick (18 September 2025). "Alleged Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson played 'Furry Shades of Gay' porn video games online: report". California Post. Retrieved 6 May 2026.

Sources

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Primary sources

In the text, these references are preceded by a double dagger (‡):

  1. ^ "Tags". e926. Archived from the original on 18 September 2025. Retrieved 6 May 2026.
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