SMOOTH-COATED OTTER Lutrogale perspicillata RECEIVES FORMAL PROTECTION IN INDONESIA, BUT SMALL - CLAWED OTTER Aonyx cinereus DOES NOT.

The illegal wildlife trade in Indonesia is a major threat to a long and growing list of species. Otters are no exception and recent research has shown the trade in otters as pets in Indonesia is on the rise. While it is illegal to capture and trade otters from the wild in Indonesia, until recently only two of the four native otter species received formal legal protection, and the remaining two species were protected by an insubstantial zero-harvest quota. Recently, the government of Indonesia has provided full legal protection to the Smooth-coated Otter, however, and unfortunately, the Small-clawed Otter remains absent from the list of protected species in Indonesia, and therefore more vulnerable to exploitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]