Friendly reminder:
No, you don't want that otter. No, that is not a pet. No, that up close encounter where you can pay to cuddle with an otter is probably not ethical. No, I'm pretty sure that channel with a guy and his pet otters is not a legitimate "animal rescue", stop recommending it to me.
Yes, the otter is cute. Please admire them either from a distance, or behind a barrier at an accredited facility. Thank you.
.....no I'm not going insane seeing how flooded social media is with unethical otter content.
The recent popularity of otter cafĂŠs in Japan caused a rise in animal trafficking & poaching of these otter species in Asia. Asia isn't an exception: the same will happen anywhere. The more popular an exotic wild species is as a "pet", the more it encourages poaching & trafficking. Even if you can give your exotic animal the best living conditions (which is always more complicated than with a domestic species), this factor will always remain
If you want a pet, you want a domesticated species. If you want a domesticated mustelid (the family otters belongs to), we have one: it's called a "ferret"
Yes, they do require specific care you need to learn about (like any animal, wild or domestic), no they don't look exactly like otters (it's the closest you'll get in domestic animals though) But they're a lot more adapted to live in human houses, and they're not at risk of being poached in the wild. Mostly because like dogs or domestic cats, they don't exist in the wild
