You Otter Know

On the radio this morning, I heard a commercial for the Monterrey Bay Aquarium.  The gist of the ad focused on the unbearable cuteness of otters, and summed up the general attitude of Aquarium clientele, thus: "You would hug them if you had the chance, and if it weren't illegal."  Which makes me wonder: Why is hugging otters illegal?  And is such a statute really on the books in California?  If so, I submit that state legislators have some seriously misplaced priorities.