Otters posing for selfies in Japanese cafes may be linked to illegal trade, experts warn | Illegal wildlife trade

When taking selfies on enthusiastic visitors, OTTERS of Tokyo’s Animal CaFES has learned to play their role in stardom online. In thousands of videos on social media, water mammals are wrinkled through the extended hands of customers who love those who reward their attention with food.

But the prosperous demand raised great concerns among the conservative specialists, with study It was published in the Journal of Science and Practice that connects foxes hidden in animal cafes in Japanese cities with ground groups in hot fishing points in Thailand.

The researchers compared DNA profiles to 81 foxes of zoos from zoos and animal cafes or that were seized by customs with genetic data from the wild population in Malaysia and Singapore and Thailand. They found that the vast majority of captive foxes that are identical to two hot dots in southern Thailand, on the coast of Thailand Bay and near the border with Malaysia.

Small Asian fox hidden, It is classified as weak To extinction in the IUCN Red List, it is the OTER type that chooses and becomes a famous pet animal, although it is Commercial trade has been banned International in 2019.

“In recent decades, a fox has become very common in Japan because of cafes,” said Mayo, Fakhara, Associate Professor in their lands. Wildlife Kyoto University Research Center and co -author.

“We cannot confirm that foxes came through illegal trade, but we have shown that their DNA is the same from the regions in Thailand, which are illegal commercial points.

“Many owners of the café do not understand the situation. Some believe that they are helping to maintain an interior by raising them and showing them to people.”

Although there is no final guide, researchers from JapanThailand and France said that the results they reached were strongly suggesting ties to land trade. It was also possible to raise some fox foxes in pets in Japan in families of the seizure and import animals before the ban on 2019.

“Before studying, we had this strong feeling that most of them were smuggled,” said Dr. Mary Sigoud, from the National History Museum in France. “These foxes in the attachment 1 in CITES [Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora]The most protected category, such as the elephant ivory. Our big question to be answered was where they came from. The results strongly indicate that at least some of these foxes come directly from illegal trade. “

In the wild, foxes have a major role in maintaining fresh water swamps and mangroves in Asia, and fishing creatures such as crabs and mollusks. It constitutes mono -marriage pairs for life and is known for its severe sensors for the excavation. The conservative owners are concerned that the pet trade will witness its role in ecosystems – which exacerbates the impact of habitat loss and pollution.

Despite recent efforts, fox smuggling is still rampant, as animals have been estimated to attract them. The scope of trade was detected in small foxes for the first in 2018 in A. Joint study By the IUCN OTER and Traffic group, a non -governmental organization specializing in global trade in wild animals and plants. I found more than 500 ads of creatures between January and April 2017, with a large demand for young foxes less than a year. It is believed to have grown since then.

“You cannot have a fox like a pet in most European countries, but it is a very common pet in Asia and Japan. There are popular channels on YouTube from people with pets and there is a lot of follow -up. It is a nice type, although it is very difficult to take care of it,” Sigud said.

Kanta Krishnassami, the traffic director of Southeast Asia, was skeptical that the animal breeding industry in captivity would help the wild population.

She said: “Food foxes have long been searching for illegal trade,” she said. “There are many ancient examples that highlight the pitfalls and complications in regulating and controlling reproduction for trade, with links to washing samples that were illegally arrested in the legal trade chain. Any step to introduce commercial captive breeding is very risky.”

The researchers also urged people to think twice before visiting cafes or owning animals as pets, as they may sometimes become aggressive. In social media publications, they often show signs of stress as they are overweight, and sometimes reside or give up their tails.

“I do not think it is good for people to go to cafes. Most people go because they love animals. But people must understand that companies may participate in illegal trade,” he said.

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