“Some of these people really care about their animals, and if we can find a way to engage with them to show them why keeping otters is wrong, they can become advocates for wildlife conservation.”. No one knows exactly where or when the otter pet craze began, but a number of experts believe it originated in Indonesia about five years ago, according to Vincent Nijman, an anthropologist at Oxford Brookes University in Britain. Mr. Gea counted 16 adult animals during his visit to Kebun Alam Jaya. Unfortunately we humans have too often put our own desires in front of what is best for nature. Not only do you need the right enclosure and dietary resources to take care of a pet otter, but you need to have access to specialists in your neighborhood. This males and female babies are for sale . The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015: e.T12302A21936349. In some states, it is not illegal to keep an Asian small-clawed otter as a pet. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has previously released a general, but not exhaustive, guideline to keeping otters in captivity[4]. These semi-aquatic creatures hold hands and cuddle, making potential pet otters all the craze among aspiring pet owners. Nearly half the retailers claimed that their animals were captive-bred in Japan. The diet of an Asian small-clawed otter in captivity consist of canned or dry cat food, that is designed to control calcium oxalate uroliths, fish, crickets and mealworms. They are now ready and set to go. Price : $400.00 Arkansas Desmond 11-14-17 0 Hits Superb Quality litter of Asian Clawed Baby Otters.True to type, breed for health, temperament, outgoing characters, with beautiful markings. But Asian small-clawed otters, a “terminally cute” threatened species, tend to be the primary targets for poachers, Dr. Duplaix said. Social media stars followed up with videos of visits to otter cafes, some of which have gotten millions of views. “This place looks very suspicious, like nothing more than a holding facility for animals for sale,” Mr. Palmer said. As stated in the introduction, otters are mustelids. They deserve to be out in the world in environments which we do't interfere with. Before the pet trade became a threat, their viability was already Members get together to show off their animals, Dr. Nijman said, parading them down the street on leashes on Sundays in Jakarta, for example. A customer at an otter cafe in Tokyo. Asian small-clawed otters are increasingly popular as novelty pets, particularly in Japan. Its paws are a distinctive feature; its claws do not extend beyond the fleshy end pads of its partially webbed fingers and toes. Male and Female availabl.. KayRossWed, September See Full Post After passing around a laminated sheet with warnings printed in Japanese, Mandarin and English (“Otters sometimes become violent”), a handler opened the cage. Not all countries have strict protection laws and many otter populations are already in decline. That May Be Their Undoing. This is the way for all animals, but the fundamental problem is that wild animals are better off wild, no matter how well we think we can look after them. In a widely publicized case last October, a Tokyo district court prosecuted two men for smuggling five baby otters into Tokyo from Thailand. The small-clawed species of otter hails from southeast Asia and hunts for fish in the wild. otters as pets.1 But not only is it cruel and potentially dangerous to keep an otter as a pet, this trend is putting the very future of some otter species at risk. Soon that may no longer be possible. There is little similar evidence to suggest otters want to do the same. The strongest offspring are released into the wild, he said, and the rest are sent to Japan, where Mr. Nagayasu sells them for more than $10,000 each. Click to attach a photo related to your comment. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/otters-protection-surveys-and-licences#how-otters-are-protected, http://www.otterspecialistgroup.org/Library/TaskForces/OCT/OCT_ASO_Husbandry_Guidelines_Summary.pdf, https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/07/17/national/otters-smuggled-sale-japan-demand-pets-grows/#.XeDfjZNKiUl, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/12302/21936349, https://ptes.org/get-informed/facts-figures/otter/, Types of German Shepherd - All Breed Variations, The Ocelot as a Pet: Everything you Need to Know, Ostriches as Pets: Guidelines and General Tips, Ferrets as Pets: Guidelines and General Tips, Gov UK. Smell may seem a minor consideration, but should not be overlooked. Unfortunately, this fad has lead to the illegal smuggling of otters into Japan[6]. The otter is not a domesticated animal species. Given that, Mr. Willcox believes that conservationists should try to work directly with otter owners. In Japan, pet fads appear with a certain regularity. Lontra canadensis. “Nothing indicates a rescue and rerelease or breeding center, and even if it did, the otters do not have the care or the environment to ensure they would survive in the wild.”. Police were tipped off to the case by Yoshiaki Nagayasu, owner of Kotsumate, a popular otter cafe with branches in Tokyo, Nagoya and Fukuoka. You may have seen videos on YouTube of otters playing in people's homes, but often these videos lack context. Summary of Husbandry Guidelines for Asian Small-clawed Otters in Captivity. Retrieved on 29 November, 2019. | Sign up for the Science Times newsletter.]. [Like the Science Times page on Facebook. You may not think it, just to look at them, although even when stock-still they are adorable. “But the supply isn’t catching up.”. Other otters have fully webbed feet and strong, well-developed claws. The Asian small-clawed otter has become a popular pet in Southeast Asia. One of the smugglers had called Mr. Nagayasu, offering to sell him baby otters. (2019). more of my otters coming up which can play with other pets … Expenses such as those mentioned above are not the only detrimental factors in keeping an otter as a pet. Our babies are to be giving only to pet loving family. Baby otters are arguably the most adorable creatures on the planet! They are been raised as pet. Keeping an otter in a home is a surefire way to destroy anything valuable you own. This requires a fence which is not climbable and has a horizontal ledge at the top. Amid an overwhelming reek of urine and scat, we descended a tight staircase into a cramped basement, where tattered ottomans faced a small wire cage. It is also something which could see a rise in other countries if the wrong information is spread. They are mustelids which means they belong to the same family as weasels, minks and badgers, but form a part of the subfamily Lutrinae. This small-clawed otter's favorite game is fetch! Otter Superfan. The food they eat will also need to be considered with an appropriate diet and at least 350 g of food per day for each animal. If the water is not sufficiently well cleaned, it can lead to the quick death of the otter. Asian small-clawed otters get its name from its webbed paws and their small size. According to Traffic’s Southeast Asia office, Indonesia seized just eight otters from 2015 to 2017. Now, 11 otter families live on the island. Don't even get us started on baby otter pups. However, there is also DNA evidence to suggest that cats were susceptible to the process of domestication and may have even domesticated themselves[3]. Asian small-clawed otters are one of 13 species of otters in the carnivore family Mustelidae. Within the cage stood the star attractions and source of the odor: four Asian small-clawed otters. Otters can also dig, so the enclosure will need to have deep walls underground. Asian Small Clawed Otters available for sale. “One of the workers at the facility told me they got otters from around the area, from the wild,” said Gunung Gea, executive director of Scorpion. Another relatively popular pet fad in Japan is the practice of keeping otters as pets. By the mid-1980s, Singapore’s otters had disappeared because of pollution and development. This does not even take into consideration the amount of capital needed to install the appropriate enclosure and keep the otters well fed. However, keeping otters in captivity is not the same as keeping an otter as a pet. How close can you get to otters at the Aquarium? More otter content @ https://ottercentral.com As wild animals, otters will not want to be kept in a small enclosure and their dexterous claws mean they will try to climb or dig their way out. While they were not the first country to open a pet café (this was Taiwan's honor), the idea gained significant popularity there. Some might make an argument that an animal like the cat was not originally domesticated, but now fares well under human co-existence. Asian small-clawed otters are increasingly popular as novelty pets, particularly in Japan. Unfortunately, we would not be able to list every country where keeping otter as a pet is legal or illegal. In 2018, Ms. Naruse and her colleagues conducted an online survey and found 85 otters for sale around Japan. There are only 13 extant species of otter across the world[1]. Otter owners in Indonesia often join “civet lover” groups, online communities for fans of small carnivores. All three species were in trouble long before the pet trade began. Retrieved from. Heap, C. J., Wright, L., and Andrews, L. (2008). In Vietnam, Save Vietnam’s Wildlife, a nonprofit organization that rehabilitates animals confiscated from traffickers, has begun receiving otters for the first time in the group’s 14-year history. There are several strict guidelines concerning their care and upkeep, but, in theory, you can keep an Asian small-clawed otter as a pet in some states of the USA. Corruption and enforcement challenges create obstacles, enabling many species fully protected by Cites to still be sold illegally. I just wanna make sure. (2018). Asian small clawed otters are fed a prepared meat diet called Natural Balance, small fish such as smelt and capelin, canned feline diet and kibble. Conservationists may need to keep an otter in captivity for protection, post-rescue or for research purposes. The level of protection and types of otters present vary across different parts of the world. Not only does this depend on the country, the legality of keeping an otter as a pet will also depend on regions and jurisdiction within a given country. Asian small-clawed otters - the only otter sometimes allowed as pets - need a mixture of land and water in their enclosure. I have pair of Asian small Otters . In many states, do you think it's illegal to keep river otters, beavers and many exotic animals as pets? Suspecting foul play, Mr. Nagayasu called the police. Penthai Siriwat, a doctoral candidate at Oxford Brookes University, monitored seven Thai-language Facebook pages from 2017 to early 2019, and found 572 individual animals for sale. They have had their shots and USDA Licensed . The otter is a carnivore in dietary habits because the diet of free-ranging Asian small-clawed otters includes: crabs, crustaceans, snails, mollusks, frogs, and fish (Table 1.1; Duplaix-Hall 1975; How otters are protected. One thing that I think it's important to note is that ASC otters vocalize constantly in captivity for attention. Asian small-clawed otters: The Asian small-clawed otter (Amblonyx cinerea, syn.Aonyx cinereus), also known as the oriental small-clawed otter or simply small-clawed otter, is a semiaquatic mammal native to South and Southeast Asia.It is a member of the otter subfamily (Lutrinae) of the weasel family (Mustelidae) and is the smallest otter species in the world. It depends on the state, but yes, it is likely illegal. Asian Small Clawed Otter are a truly unique species of animal… Their body is well made for their surrounding with webbed feet and many other cool features! Is it illegal to have an otter as a pet in every country? Can You Own a Pet Otter? The Asian small-clawed otter attributed to 57 posts (127 individuals), and smooth-coated otters contributed to 15 posts (29 individuals). The IUCN guidelines don't even provide a the space for a single otter as otters are social animals that need at least one other otter for company. I greatly agree that some animals are better of wild but I read somewhere as well that as more human encroach on their natural habitats, these animals need to be protected. If an otter does attack, they have sharp teeth which can be very dangerous, especially to children. Even if it weren't, keeping wild animals as pets is not a good idea. Mr. Nagayasu said that he has paperwork proving that all of the adult otters in his facility are rescues that the Indonesian government seized from the illegal wildlife trade. Asian small-clawed otters are behind-the-scenes while work is happening next door in the Aviary. Raised in a family home with 24 hour care and love, well socialised, bundles of joy. Friendly babies are the once we got now. Space alone is not enough to mimic the otter's natural ecosystem. Veterinarians are well trained in looking after a variety of animals, but most will not have the specific training required to look after the health and well-being of an otter. A staff member holds an otter at the cafe. Otters are smelly, loud and extremely active; they have sharp teeth and jaws strong enough to crack open shellfish. However, if you have ever seen one having a snooze while going down river, opening up lunch on their bellies or rollicking in the water with their friends, only the meanest of the mean wouldn't find them enchanting. Retrieved from, Smith, C. (2017). otter for sale nickyblinscott. They also need have enough elements such as trees and branches to scavenge. “If we didn’t do this business, all the otters you see here right now would probably be dead,” Mr. Nagayasu said. In Thailand, a number of Japanese citizens have been arrested after they were caught trying to smuggle otters through airport security. “On national news and online in Indonesia, this has been presented as something acceptable, fun, novel and exciting,” Dr. Nijman said. The unfortunate reality is that there is only one species of otter that can possibly be owned—the Asian clawed otter—and even finding this species is difficult. In the meantime, please visit the North American river otters in the Minnesota Trail. The youngsters are now becoming quite active and adventurous so they will be increasingly visible to visitors in coming weeks.. The animals bolted out and flew about the room, racing over laps and gobbling down kibbles. Serfass, T., Evans, S. S., & Polechla, P. (2015). Otters are much happier (and quieter) in their natural habitat. Some of the different types of otter species include: The North American river otter is the only river otter found in north of Mexico. “It’s just been increasing,” she said. Customers play with small-clawed otters in a booth at a cafe in Tokyo. (Japan’s native otter subspecies was declared extinct in 2012.). The Asian Small-clawed Otter live in mangroves, swamps, and freshwater wetlands in Southern Asia and declared as a threatened species by IUCN. This has spread to the opening of various hedgehog and even owl cafés. Vaccines recommend are for leptospirosis, rabies, parvovirus and canine distemper. All of the animals appeared to have been caught in the wild, according to Jason Palmer, curator of collections at New Forest Wildlife Park in Britain and an adviser to the I.U.C.N. Many thanks to all the staff and keepers there. They are considered to be very high-maintenance, as you would imagine. Watch as we play fetch with our pet otter. Asian small-clawed otters are not domestically protected in Indonesia, but all trade in unprotected wildlife is subject to a harvest quota, and there is no quota for otters. They are so delightful, you could see why people might want to have an otter as a pet. As the otters like to make a burrow in the land, you will need to have the right sort of soil ans terrain. Threatened smooth-coated otters and endangered hairy-nosed otters, both found in Southeast Asia, are sometimes caught up in the pet trade. The Asian small-clawed otter, also known as the oriental small-clawed otter or simply small-clawed otter, is a semiaquatic mammal native to South and Southeast Asia. The only reason is if they cannot survive in the wild and need to be protected. The following is a list of reasons why you shouldn't. 13-week-old pups received their second vaccination and look to be in good health. Over half the otters for sale in Thailand are litters of newborns that have not yet opened their eyes, Ms. Siriwat reported in the Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity. Photographs taken by Mr. Gea show adult otters in tiny wire cages and cement pits lacking adequate nest boxes in which to have cubs. This is usually at the behest of a larger authority, often governmental. No one knows exactly how the pet craze began, but a number of experts believe the trend originated in Indonesia. Their tubular brown bodies felt like slick, furry throw pillows, and their animated, whisker-framed faces were like those of puppies. The Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinerea, hereafter ASC otter) is a member of the Mustelidae family. But on the ground at Kebun Alam Jaya, Mr. Nagayasu’s facility in Indonesia, there is little evidence of conservation, according to the Scorpion Wildlife Trade Monitoring Group, a nonprofit organization based in Medan, Indonesia, and the International Otter Survival Fund. Otters are sensitive to overhead work and we want to keep them comfortable. “We have this cuteness culture that is really deeply rooted in Japan, and that plays a strong role in this trend.”. All exotic animals for sale are here, unusual pets store, chinchilla, degus, hedgehog, guinea pig, rabbit, ferret, mice, hamsters, and many other small mammals However, there are few countries which appear to favor having otters as pets. For enrichment, otters will need walkways, natural shrubbery, nesting boxes and lots of options for safe digging and foraging. Pet otters aren’t just big in Japan. Not only will we let you know if you can have an otter as a pet, we'll look into the different reasons why this might not be the best idea for both legal and practical reasons. All profits go back to Indonesia for facility maintenance and conservation of wild otters, he said. Such illegal trafficking is detrimental to wild populations of animals worldwide. Asian Small Clawed Otters Text (xxx) xxx-xxx6. 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