On one level of personal identity, 27-year-old Naia Okami went through the gender transition process to become more female. But on a "spiritual" level, as she tells international media, Okami identifies as a British Columbian wolf.
On Monday, she gave an interview on UK's "This Morning" program.
Okami explains this aspect of her life started at age 10 when she started having dreams where she observed herself acting as a wolf.
She said she drew inspiration from the 2003 anime "Wolf's Rain" and identified with some of the animal characters depicted on the show. From there, she began researching more about actual wolves.
Okami explains to both the broadcast hosts and the general public that people who call themselves "otherkin therian" self-identify as non-human animals with regards to their personality.
"I don't physically believe I'm a wolf. It's more like a spiritual and psychological identification as a wolf," she says to draw a distinction.
When it comes to living this out in day-to-day life, Okami jokes she's "hunting prey" when investigating trafficking operations and child predators.
But generally speaking, she maintains the usual sort of public appearances, and leaves the wolf stuff when in private or with friends.
"I have a very serious job. I catch predators, I do adult things. I pay my bills, I pay my taxes. This is just sort of a way that I spiritually express myself, and I think that’s what a lot of people don't get."
"Mediation and research" led Okami to settling on British Columbia wolves as the best reflection of her personality.
"You aren't doing anybody any harm" is a response said by both of the talk show hosts at various points in the interview. The interview ended with Okami doing a quiet "awooo" for the broadcast. She couldn't be too loud because her roommates were asleep at the time of filming.
Okami is the latest high-profile story involving otherkin in recent weeks. Over in the United States, a substitute teacher alleged she was fired for not meowing back at a student who identified as a cat in the classroom.