International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management
International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management
International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management
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provided as recommended, so that otters can not only relieve their stress, but they can also avoid<br />
damaging their feet. Digging is a strong natural behavior that behaviorally healthy giant otters,<br />
such as these animals, typically carry out frequently throughout the day <strong>and</strong> throughout their<br />
entire enclosure. They will likely, with an extraordinarily high/excessive degree, dig throughout<br />
their entire enclosure during stressful or unusual events to relieve <strong>and</strong>/or counteract stress. See<br />
Part B below.) Because these otters' enclosures had appropriate l<strong>and</strong> to water ratios <strong>and</strong> soft<br />
substrates the otters would have been able to recover from this unhealthy foot condition within<br />
the same enclosure. The animals were young when they were separated from their parents <strong>and</strong><br />
they were almost 2 years old when they were observed with off-white/light pink pads in 1998.<br />
The aforementioned mates were separated multiple times during their lives <strong>and</strong> they were old<br />
when first observed in 1998. Detailed information about these events are not known. The otters<br />
with healthy normal (i.e. brown pads etc.) were not known to be separated as aforementioned.<br />
The otters observed at the other five zoos were also young to very late in age <strong>and</strong> observations<br />
did not include cubs 1 . This included ten otters that were observed closely enough to determine<br />
foot condition, between the years 1996-2004. At these zoos, every otter throughout the majority<br />
or all of its lifetime, except for one, was either kept on all (in at least one zoo), mostly, or at<br />
least “some” hard surfaces. (I.e. “Some” means, the greater portion of the total enclosure l<strong>and</strong><br />
<strong>and</strong> floor area at these zoos are/were covered with soft substrates. Two of these zoos, in<br />
addition to their outdoor exhibits with soft substrates, had indoor housing with no or very little<br />
soft substrates on their concrete floors.) As well, some of these enclosures had insufficient l<strong>and</strong><br />
area because of inappropriate l<strong>and</strong> to water ratios. All of the otters in these five zoos, except for<br />
the one just aforementioned, were observed to have pink toe/foot pads of varying severity or<br />
worse foot conditions. The more hard surfaces that the otter was exposed to, the worse the foot<br />
condition appeared. In the cases where the otters were also exposed to coarse, entirely<br />
damp/wet surfaces, or/<strong>and</strong> a lack of sufficient l<strong>and</strong> area because of improper l<strong>and</strong> to water<br />
ratios, foot condition appeared significantly worse. (These foot conditions were comparable to<br />
those listed in the general description pages above.) During this study four of these individuals<br />
recovered from having unhealthy feet, which they had for a long time. After recovery they had<br />
off-white/light pink color toe <strong>and</strong> foot pads <strong>and</strong> the remaining parts of their feet appeared<br />
healthy (i.e. brown etc.). These otters achieved this significant degree of recovery only after<br />
they were housed in enclosures where the l<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> floor areas were nearly entirely covered with<br />
mulch <strong>and</strong>/or soft s<strong>and</strong> as recommended <strong>and</strong> l<strong>and</strong> to water ratios were appropriate. Their<br />
recovery took place at Dortmund Zoo. The enclosure conditions that these recovered animals<br />
were housed in during recovery, are aforementioned in the paragraph that introduced this<br />
comparison study. It is important to note that previously before these enclosures were modified,<br />
they had inappropriate substrates/surfaces as described in the beginning of this paragraph <strong>and</strong><br />
one enclosure also had insufficient l<strong>and</strong> area because of improper l<strong>and</strong> to water ratios (see<br />
below). These four otters as well were originally housed in one or more of the other four<br />
institutions described in this paragraph, in addition to being housed at Dortmund. 1 “Cub” refers<br />
to a giant otter that is between approx. one day to six months old.<br />
Groenendijk, on a visit to Dortmund Zoo, pointed out, after viewing five giant otters held in<br />
three different enclosures at this institution, that one of the otters had foot <strong>and</strong> toe pad,<br />
webbing, <strong>and</strong> skin condition comparable to that of a wild giant otter. This particular otter’s<br />
entire feet (top <strong>and</strong> bottom) were/are brown in color <strong>and</strong> very healthy <strong>and</strong> natural in appearance.<br />
This otter was the individual that was housed throughout its lifetime in enclosures nearly<br />
entirely covered with soft substrates. (I.e. she was held in Dortmund's modified/appropriate<br />
enclosures <strong>and</strong> at Brasilia Zoo.) In regards to the foot condition of the other four otters<br />
Groenendijk observed at that time, their foot <strong>and</strong> toe pads were off-white/light pink in color.<br />
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