The otter madness is a disturbing trend, because our new undercover research shows that otters are increasingly being poached, smuggled or bred to meet the growing international demand for the animal.

More and more otter cafés are appearing in Japan. We recorded how the welfare of otters is seriously compromised in these cafes, where wild animals are kept to entertain customers. It is clear that the otters are howling and screaming while customers cuddle and play with them. The social otters are kept in cages without peers: without daylight and sometimes even without water. The animals bite and injure themselves and are clearly stressed.