①Otters (水猴) are cute water animals. Recently, there has been a trend (趋势) of keeping them as pets. In Japan, some "otter cafes" are open for business. People can pay to play with the otters there and to take photos with them. In Indonesia, people go swimming with their pet otters and take "funny" videos. These photos and videos posted online have attracted more people to buy otters as pets.
②However, these photos and videos mask the fact that the online trade is doing harm to otters. In the wild, baby otters usually stay with their mothers during their first year of life. According to a report, 70 percent of otters sold online are under a year old. These baby otters have been stolen from their mothers. When they're kept as pets by humans, they do not live full, natural lives.
③Otters are very social (群居的). They live in family groups of up to fifteen in the wild. Keeping an otter as a pet can make it very sad and lonely. These animals also need enough space to swim. Their owners' bathtubs (浴缸) or pools are much smaller than the bodies of water in the wild.
④On the other hand, it is not wise to keep otters as pets at home. They have a very special fishy smell. If they're kept indoors, they will leave a lot of droppings around the house. This would make the smell even more unpleasant. Besides, when otters are upset, they will make loud noises and even attack (攻击) people. If a person is bitten by an otter, he or she needs to go to the hospital immediately.
⑤So, what can we do to stop the otter pet trade? Well, one of the main ways is to let more people know that otters should not be kept as pets. We should also keep an eye on online posts about these animals. When photos and videos show baby otters being kept or sold as pets, don't share them.
