On social networks, the recognition of unique animals is going hand in hand with the trivialization in their mistreatment. Those platforms monetize the possession of untamed species whilst rendering their struggling invisible. This development fuels the average false impression that domestication is analogous to domestication. This isn’t the case, as the instance of space otters in Japan presentations.
Bottle-fed monkeys, skilled parrots for selfies, overweight cats uncovered to the cameras… On TikTok, Instagram or YouTube, those scenes provide wild species as pets, particularly thru hashtags like #ekoticpetsoftikt.
This viral development, appreciated by means of the very functioning of those platforms, normalizes the concept an animal that’s not domesticated may are living like a cat or a canine, subsequent to us. In some nations, proudly owning an unique animal has even grow to be an ostentatious image of social standing for the rich elite who show them all over “glamorous” picture shoots.
Alternatively, in the back of the horny photos that gather hundreds of “likes” lies a miles much less horny fact. Those social media stars are species with ecological, social and behavioral wishes which are unattainable to fulfill in a human family. By way of making their ownership common, this content material, at the one hand, perpetuates incorrect ideals and, then again, additionally stimulates unlawful business. On this manner, they give a contribution to the struggling of those animals and undermine the preservation of untamed species.
Don’t combine local and tame
So as to perceive the problems associated with proudly owning an unique animal, we will have to first outline the phrases: what’s a home animal and what’s an unique animal?
Manul, or Pallas’s cat, is a small wild cat, endemic to Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Russia, southern Iran, Pakistan and Nepal. In spite of its beautiful face, this can be a territorial and solitary animal that may be competitive. Sander van der Wel, CC BI-SA
Obviously, the time period “exotic animal” is especially ambiguous. Even supposing in France the decree of August 11, 2006 units out a transparent listing of species thought to be home, its British model attracts up an inventory of unique animals for which a allow is needed, with the exception of all others.
Due to this fact, a license is needed to possess, for instance, a serval (Leptailurus serval), however now not a minimum of for a serval-cat hybrid of the second one era, and even to possess a manul, also known as a Pallas’s cat (Otocolobus manul).
This semantic ambiguity perpetuates the confusion between domestication and domestication:
the primary is composed of habituating a wild animal to human presence (similar to deer being fed in a park);
the second one corresponds to a protracted strategy of variety that takes position over generations and results in genetic, behavioral and morphological adjustments.
Savannah cat of the primary era (a pass between a home cat and a serval). Flickr Gottawildside, CC BI-NC-ND
This procedure is accompanied by means of what scientists name the “domestication syndrome”, a suite of not unusual options (dropped ears, curved tail, and so on.) already described by means of Darwin in 1869, even supposing this idea is now wondered by means of the medical neighborhood.
To place it extra merely: a wolf raised by means of people stays a tame wolf and does now not grow to be a canine. Its wishes and physiological capacities, its habits and its cognitive talents stay mainly the similar as the ones of those wild congeners. The similar is going for all of the different non-native species that invade our displays.
Stellar animals with a captive destiny: the case of Asian otters
Cats and primates have lengthy been the favourite animals of social networks, however just lately a brand new development has emerged in Asia: the so-called puppy otter.
A number of the quite a lot of species concerned, the grey otter (Aonik cinereus), particularly prized for its juvenile look, represents virtually all on-line gross sales ads on this area. This makes it the primary sufferer of clandestine business on this a part of the sector, even though since 2019 it’s been integrated in Appendix I of the Conference on World Business in Endangered Species.
Otter cafes, particularly fashionable in Japan, have a great deal contributed to the normalization of this development by means of exposing them as pets on social media, a phenomenon documented in a complete record by means of the NGO International Animal Coverage revealed in 2019. Likewise, the case of Spalash, an otter hired by means of the police to seek for the our bodies of ex-animals in Florida, presentations that those ex-animals are spreading past the borders of Florida (Uni amusing.
Within the herbal surroundings, those animals spend maximum in their days swimming and exploring a ten-kilometer territory as a part of a circle of relatives crew of as much as 12 folks. It’s in fact unattainable to recreate those stipulations at house. As well as, their vitamin, which is composed essentially of unpolluted fish, shellfish and amphibians, is terribly restrictive and dear for his or her house owners. Their top metabolism additionally reasons them to eat up to 1 / 4 in their frame weight on a daily basis.
Takechiio, one in every of Instagram’s otter stars, has just about 300,000 fans and lives along with his circle of relatives in an condominium construction in Tokyo’s Minato district. Aaron Gekoski/International Animal Coverage
Disadvantaged of predators and frequently fed cat meals, many animals uncovered in nets increase malnutrition and obese. Their discomfort is expressed by means of vocalizations and severe behavioral disturbances, resulting in aggressiveness or self-harm, and repetitive gestures devoid of serve as, referred to as “stereotypes”. Those behaviors are the results of an irrelevant surroundings, with out cognitive and social stimulation, when they don’t seem to be merely disadvantaged of herbal gentle and water house.
An life break free the desires of animals
This proximity isn’t with out dangers for human beings as neatly. Otters, like different unique animals, can transmit sicknesses that may be transmitted to people: salmonellosis, parasites or viruses are some of the maximum often reported pathogens. As well as, the specialised veterinary care required for those species is never to be had and subsequently extraordinarily dear. Particularly, understand that no rabies vaccine is authorized for many unique species.
In public debate, we frequently distinction the dangers to people with the proper to possess those animals. However we omit the very important: what’s in point of fact just right for the animal? The legitimacy of zoos remains to be debated regardless of their position in conservation and analysis, however then how are we able to justify puts like otter cafes, the place you pay to puppy a wild species?
At otter cafes in Japan, shoppers feed, take selfies and have interaction with otters in captivity. Aaron Gekoski/International Animal Coverage
As of 2018, the Eu Union and ANSES outline animal welfare as:
“An animal’s well-being is a positive mental and physical state associated with the satisfaction of its physiological and behavioral needs, as well as its expectations. This state varies depending on the animal’s perception of the situation.”.
So, how are we able to communicate in regards to the welfare of an overweight animal, filmed in anxiety-provoking scenarios for the pride of a couple of shoppers or for a couple of thousand likes?
Stuck for on-line publicity
Even though in France the conserving of unique animals is topic to strict rules, the fascination those species arouse at the nets is aware of no geographical limits. In spite of caution messages posted by means of TikTok and Instagram on sure hashtags, public engagement, together with in Europe, continues to gas world call for and inspire unlawful catches.
A 2025 find out about discovered that almost all captive otters in Japan come from two poaching zones in Thailand, revealing vital human trafficking regardless of the rules. In Thailand and Vietnam, younger otters are nonetheless captured and separated from their moms, frequently killed all over poaching, in violation of global conventions.
Social media facilitates the relationship between poorly knowledgeable dealers and patrons, frequently resulting in the abandonment of unmanageable animals, and even involuntary escapes.
Picture of a serval that roamed the Rhône division for greater than six months in 2025. © Tonga Terre d’Accueil
This phenomenon too can have severe ecological affects, similar to disrupting native ecosystems, transmitting infectious sicknesses to wild populations, and competing with local species for sources.
Not too long ago in France, the case of a serval that wandered for a number of months within the Lyon area illustrates this fact: an animal, whose conserving is illegal, would more than likely be launched by means of a person.
When the eye is going in want of the purpose
However this visibility does now not simplest have damaging results. Social networks thus be offering a brand new lever for inspecting tendencies within the unlawful marketplace. Different tasks produced by means of care and rehabilitation facilities have an academic function: they lift public consciousness and allow financing of coverage movements and the combat towards human trafficking.
Due to this fact, it isn’t a query of utterly rejecting the media protection of the problem of those animals, however studying to decode their intentions and affect. In the long run, one of the best ways to assist those species stays to make stronger associations, researchers and reintroduction systems. And let’s take into account that a easy like could have penalties, sure or unfavourable, relying at the content material we make a selection to inspire.
