This study is focused on four otter species in Asia; the Eurasian otter Lutra lutra, the hairy-nosed
otter Lutra sumatrana, the small-clawed otter Aonyx cinereus and the smooth-coated otter
Lutrogale perspicillata. The illegal wildlife trade poses a direct threat to all four species as they are
popular for their fur and increasingly for their supposed qualities as pets. The online pet trade has emerged as a pressing threat to otters in Southeast Asia with a new TRAFFIC-IUCN Otter Specialist Group (OSG) study revealing hundreds of the animals for sale on Facebook and other websites over a four-month period.
Read the full report here.
