Japan’s exotic animal cafes – where visitors can pet owls, hold otters and sip coffee surrounded by sloths – are under fresh scrutiny after a study found troubling lapses in hygiene and infection control, including the presence of harmful bacteria.
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The joint study, carried out by WWF Japan and Hokkaido University’s Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, surveyed 25 establishments in Tokyo and surrounding areas that allowed direct interaction with non-domesticated animals. It found multiple breaches of hygiene protocols and raised concerns about both human health and animal welfare.
Four of the cafes tested positive for E coli bacteria and two for salmonella, both of which can cause serious gastrointestinal illness in humans, according to a summary of the findings published by The Japan Times on Friday.
In one case, researchers observed animals entering a dining area in a cafe that also served food and drinks – a practice long discouraged in zoonotic disease prevention guidelines.
“In the past, several cases of infectious diseases thought to be caused by contact with animals have been reported in Japan,” the WWF report noted, citing 12 cases of enterohemorrhagic E coli, nine of salmonella, and four of Cryptosporidium linked to animal contact since 2000.
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