You Buy An Otter — Can

The chime of the bell above the door at "Exotic & Rare" was usually followed by the smell of cedar shavings and the squawk of a macaw . But today, Elias was met with a frantic splashing. "Can you buy an otter?"

The question came from a young man named Leo, who was currently staring into a large galvanized tub where a sleek, brown shape was turning high-speed somersaults in the water.

"It’s not just the fish," Elias continued, walking over to the tub. Barnaby immediately climbed out, his webbed feet slapping against the tile. With lightning speed, the otter grabbed a stapler from a nearby shelf and dived back into the water with a triumphant splash. "That’s his third stapler this week. They are semi-aquatic demolition experts. They have opposable thumbs, Leo. They can open cabinets, turn on faucets, and unlatch cages. If you leave him alone for an hour, he won't just be bored; he'll have dismantled your plumbing." can you buy an otter

Elias smiled softly. "If you want to help them, volunteer at the sanctuary down the road. You get the chirps and the splashes, but you get to go home to a house that hasn't been flooded and a bank account that still has money in it."

Leo reached out toward the tub, but the otter, a North American river species named Barnaby, popped his head up and gave a sharp, bird-like chirp that sounded suspiciously like a challenge. The chime of the bell above the door

"Good choice," Elias called out. "And Leo? If you see a guy selling 'pet' otters out of a van? Run. Because nobody who actually loves an otter would ever try to sell you one."

"So," Leo said, his shoulders dropping slightly. "I shouldn't buy him?" "It’s not just the fish," Elias continued, walking

The shop went quiet, save for the rhythmic clack-clack of the stapler hitting the side of the metal tub. Leo looked at Barnaby , who was now floating on his back, looking up with dark, intelligent eyes that seemed to hold a world of mischief.