A social media craze in Japan and Indonesia that promotes keeping otters in cafes or as exotic domestic pets has created a cruel trafficking trade, driving the semi-aquatic creatures to the brink of extinction, say animal rights activists.

A new undercover investigation by World Animal Protection has revealed that baby wild otters are being illegally poached from their natural habitat, confined in terrible conditions and irresponsibly bred across Japan, Thailand and Indonesia to meet a growing public demand.

The desire to domesticate otters, which normally live in large family groups in waterways, has been fuelled by social media influencers who post funny videos and pictures of the cute, gregarious creatures to Instagram, YouTube and Facebook.

Takechiyo, one of Instagram’s most famous otters, has nearly 300,000 followers entertained by its antics with a Japanese family who live in an apartment block in the Minato district of Tokyo.

The species’ popularity has created a surge of otter cafes in Japan, where people can come to stroke and play with them. In Indonesia, otter communities have sprung up where owners go on excursions together with their pets.