Takechiyo’s fame reflects a craze across east and South-East Asia for keeping the cuddly creatures as pets. Enthusiasts in Japan visit cafés where they pay to cuddle them; Indonesian owners parade their pets around on leads or go swimming with them, then share their pictures online. But these jolly photos mask a trade that is doing a lot of damage. Even before they became fashionable companions for humans, Asia’s wild otters faced plenty of threats. Their habitats are disappearing.
In any case, otters do not even make particularly good pets. Every year the Jakarta Animal Aid Network, a charity in Indonesia’s capital, receives some ten otters from people who have struggled to look after them. Faizul Duha, the founder of an Indonesian otter-owners’ group, admits that his two animals emit a “very specific” smell. They bite humans and gnaw at furniture. Their screeching can be heard blocks away. And their cages need cleaning every two-to-three hours.
This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline "Some like it otter"
morgfair They’re wild animals not pets
morgfair There’s going to be a lot of children as well as adults with missing fingers very soon. People are so stupid sometimes, these are wild animals for Christ sake. Leave them in the wild
Watched one rip a seagulls head off 😳
こういう闇稼業やりたい。
Human, can you just leave others alone?
HelenFaulkner20 👀
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