Some 60 percent of animal cafes in Japan deal with exotic species restricted by international trade laws, raising fears that their popularity may not just threaten their conservation, but may also heighten the risk of animal-borne diseases, a recent study found.There were 137 such stores as of 2019, with the popularity of the cafes and demand for the animals potentially triggering overhunting in their native habitats, according to the study by institutions including France's Sorbonne University and non-governmental organization Traffic, which is headquartered in Britain. The cafes allow cus…READ FULL ARTICLE
