Photo/Illutration An otter (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Ken-kun has many fans among visitors to Tokyo's Ueno Zoo. His round eyes are adorable and his magnificent swimming form is utterly mesmerizing.

He is an Asian small-clawed otter.

Some people have apparently gone to pet shops and bought Ken-kun look-alikes, wanting to keep them as pets like cats and dogs.

But Naoya Ohashi, 49, the head of the zoo’s education and information section, wants that to stop.

“I do not recommend keeping them in private residences,” he said.

After all, this is a species that is wild and difficult to tame. It needs a swimming pool, its feces have a very strong odor and there are few veterinarians who can treat one if it gets sick.

Ohashi, himself, fell hard for the cuteness of otters years ago and asked to oversee them at the zoo. And precisely because he understands too well why people want to keep them as pets, he is determined to “tell people what awaits them after bringing one home.”

Today, May 31, is said to be World Otter Day. Animal conservation groups warn that turning wild animals into household pets can drive them to extinction or encourage poaching and illegal trading.

There is also the concern that alien species, eventually abandoned by their owners, can end up destroying the ecosystem--as was the case when owning raccoons became a fad in Japan years ago.

Watching Ken-kun enjoy his meal, I was taken aback by his powerful jaws that enable him to crunch and devour chicken heads. When he was finished, he bared his teeth, as if grinning. 

Cute? Undoubtedly. But invite him to my home to live? I don’t think so.

--The Asahi Shimbun, May 31

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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