International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management

Not all aspects of husbandry and management are presented within this manual or some have
only been covered in brief. Quarantine, capture, anesthesia, biological (e.g. physiological) and
natural history information has been gathered and is available currently by request. (Please
contact the author/compiler of this manual for such information.) These topics will be
presented or expanded upon in a future edition. Future editions will also include information on
what zoos/institutions can do to further support conservation efforts and increase public
awareness about this endangered species and its habitat. Both metric and U.S. units of measure
are presented adjacent to each other. P. brasiliensis will be referred to as “giant otter”
throughout the text.
Sheila Sykes-Gatz: International Giant Otter Studbook Keeper (Zoo Dortmund); IUCN/SSC
Otter Specialist Group / Focal Point for Giant Otters in Captivity. Zoo Dortmund: Consultant
for Giant Otter Husbandry, Management & Research; Affiliate of Philadelphia Zoo (U.S.).
Mailing Address: Zoo Dortmund, Mergelteichstr. 80; 44225 Dortmund; Germany.
E-mail: v.gatz@cityweb.de or sheilasykes@hotmail.com Home Office: Tel./Fax: +49 231
432946
8