Cats may be the most frequent companions in her café. Japanhowever, in the land of the rising sun, those who wish can drink coffee with a cup of coffee. owl on head or drink your drink under a watchful eye penguins.

Cafes with exotic animals are popular with both locals and visitors in search of originality and “sweetness” for selfie on which they will be loaded social media. In fact, customers may purchase some of these animals without realizing that this coffee endangers not only the lives of the creatures, but also their own.

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— 爬虫類电影館 (@hachuurui8261) December 30, 2022

In a detailed report on Japanese animal cafes, was published two months ago in the scientific journal Conservation Science and Practice., the researchers identified 3793 animals of 419 different species, of which 52 are endangered. For the nine exotic species they found, international trade is strictly prohibited.

“Some of the species we saw are unusual. dubious originsays Marie Sigot, a wildlife biologist at the Natural History Museum in Paris, who conducted the study as a research fellow at Kyoto University. Many of these animals “probably have been caught in the wild and this affects their long-term survival,” she says.

According to Dr. Shego, the possibility of transmission of the disease from animals to humans is of extreme concern.

In a typical café, animals of various species are kept in a small area with people allowed to touch and pet them while they drink coffee or drinks. Some animals are in a state severe stress and “they are an ideal link for the exchange of potential pathogens,” explains Cecile Sarabian, an environmental scientist at Nagoya University, co-author of the study.

He adds that coffee animal laws are “relatively lax” and the researchers are urging the government to tighten them up.

The researchers recorded live or via social media. 142 cafes with exotic animals of the Japanese archipelago, from flamingos and otters to monkeys and reptiles.

“Just because a wild animal is cute doesn’t mean you can take it home with you. Unfortunately, this fact does not seem to bother many who, under the influence of social media, depict otters as cool and funny animals,” says Cassandra Kenen, Wildlife Campaign Manager. Not the pets of the World Animal Protection organization that dealt with this issue.

As he specifically talks about otters, in many cases they are kept in tiny spaces infinitely smaller than their natural habitat, they are not properly fed, even if not intentionally, and they remain solitary despite their social nature and their a tendency for them to live in large family groups of more than 20 people.

However, owners and customers insist on good intentions. Kouhei Kimura, its owner brown funny creatures in the forest in Kyoto, who specializes in reptiles, says that despite criticism, he personally cares about ensuring the protection of his animals and the right conditions for keeping and feeding. His cafe has 40 species of reptiles, plus three owls and tropical fish. He says he got his reptiles from legal sources in Japan or bred them himself. He forbids customers from touching owls when they sleep and has made improvised snake cages because “the ones available for sale were too small.”

Kimura, who has adored cold-blooded creatures since childhood, says he opened the cafe to share the “charm of reptiles” with other people and, against the fear of many, make them fall in love with them. “The big lizard makes you feel like you’re raising a dinosaur,” he says.

Exotic coffee varieties are typical not only for Japan. Since the first pet cafe that catered to cats and dogs opened in Taiwan in 1998, the concept has quickly spread throughout the region. The 2020 survey identified 111 businesses in Asia, mostly in Japan, but also in China, Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia, South Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines and Cambodia. However, “Japan seems to be the epicenter of this phenomenon,” Shego says.

According to Timothy Bonbrake, a biologist at the University of Hong Kong who was not involved in the study, this new study demonstrates the need clearer and stronger legislation. In fact, as he points out, a proper regulatory framework can give these cafes an active role in protecting these species, as is the case with zoos.

Source: New York Times/World Animal Welfare.