Owls fluff up their feathers and preen beneath the stroking fingers of customers at Owl Village, one of many cafes dedicated to the birds, seen as a symbol of good luck in Japan, that have sprung up amid a boom in animal cafes.
But behind the squeals of delighted children in a cafe that is fully booked most days lurks a darker story of careless treatment that may endanger the nocturnal birds, activists say.
