Episode Information

Tracking the exotic pet trade of otters across the globe, is a story of gangsters and guns, mammals and middlemen. Japanese otter cafés and social media influencers are driving increased demand for pet otters all over the world, with devastating consequences. These otters might be adorable, but the truth behind this trade is anything but. Ripped from the wild or irresponsibly bred, orphaned by poachers and confined in unnatural environments, these otters live a life of extreme misery. Following World Animal Protection intelligence, environmental photojournalist Aaron Gekoski investigates Otters and the Exotic Pet Trade.