Humans have always wanted to keep animals as life companions, and this has caused many changes in different species, even leading to new species evolving to suit the needs of humans. We have changed everything from their behavior to their reproduction cycles, but some animals we just keep with us because we like them.
Now, beyond the knowledge and resources necessary to keep an exotic animal, there are some things that seem utterly absurd, things that are just proof that humans can be clueless and selfish when dealing with other living beings.
Otters are the latest pet fad, coming right after the hedgehog craze, but unlike these spiky creatures, otters are truly wild animals. Nowadays, there are even “otter cafes” in places like Japan, where they keep several of these adorable animals on hand for visitors to pet and play with them.
These places are becoming more and more popular, just like Instagram images of celebrities posing with their newly-acquired “wet cat,” but this, in turn, has increased both the legal and illegal sales of this species. The most coveted species is the one with short claws, considerably smaller and lighter than it’s larger, longer-clawed cousin. To keep up with the demand, these animals are now being poached, stolen, and illegally smuggled from places countries South Asia, like Indonesia.
On top of their popularity as pets, and the dangers this presents for them as species, their habitat is increasingly endangered, due to climate change. Also, an increase in demand of their fur for coats and other clothing makes them more vulnerable to poaching. Although it is true that all of this hasn’t put otters yet in the list of species on the brink of extinction, it certainly hasn’t helped keep the population at a healthy number, and some worry we might be seeing their population in the wild going down around the world.
Read more: These Are The Species That Went Extinct In 2018
South Asian governments have begun issuing laws to forbid the sale of otters, but smugglers and traffickers continue their business, mainly on social media –especially Facebook–, an extremely useful communication channel for these activities. This type of sales occurs without any regulation and is one of the worst things that can happen to these creatures, which need specialized -and expensive- care. According to a documentary by National Geographic:
“Keeping otters as pets isn’t good for the animals, either. In the wild, the freshwater-loving carnivores live in family groups of up to 15. This contrasts with their lives in captivity, where they’re isolated from other otters and often get no more than a dunking in the bathtub. Most pet otters are treated like toys—we see them on pet leads, wearing dolls’ clothing, and fed very bad human diets.”
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