International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management

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esponses that usually/normally or easily occur during cub-rearing or new/unusual situations can be increased. Abnormally elevated and excessive levels of negative responses have occurred and these reactions in turn have caused greater problems. I.e. the ability of giant otters to successfully rear cubs and adjust to new/unusual situations has been adversely affected or seriously compromised. (Increased negative responses, resulting from the new/unusual or cubrearing situation, can occur alone or in addition to any already existing mental and behavioral health problems that have been caused by inappropriate enclosure conditions. Other additional stressful situations during these times, e.g. when otters are captured, examined, anesthetized, held in very small enclosures, will only aggravate the problems.) For example, stress to giant otter parents rearing cubs has been responsible for many litter losses. (See the affects of stress etc. on cub-rearing success in Section 10.) Stress, most especially results from human disturbances and presence during cub-rearing, although inadequate enclosure conditions (as described) can increase stress caused from these sources and/or in itself create additional new stresses during cub-rearing. E.g. bored or stressed parents or older siblings can excessively focus on, handle, play with, abuse, or kill cubs or be responsible indirectly or directly for the cubs' death, as a result of having nothing else better to focus their attentions on. Additionally, sometimes during cub-rearing giant otters may have to be held in indoor enclosures (e.g. during cold weather or to offer privacy) and locked out of their adjoining outdoor enclosures. It is very important that these generally smaller indoor enclosures are properly furnished and designed to counteract the frustration, boredom, etc. that otters, who normally have year-around outdoor access can likely experience. This is also crucial in all small enclosures [i.e. enclosures below 240m² (2,583.4 ft²)] such as temporary holding areas, quarantine, or any enclosure, whether permanent or temporary. When animals are moved to new enclosures or held in quarantine or temporary holding areas fear, stress, boredom, and nervousness can be significantly reduced with just the appropriate provisions aforementioned. Without such provisions, negative responses can increase, so that the ability to successfully adjust to these new situations can be adversely affected or seriously compromised and future healthy behavior (if the enclosure is a permanent/long-term home) will not be possible in such conditions. (Note: when appropriate conditions are provided during quarantine (or at any other time), enclosures can easily be kept sanitary and otters will be able to stay clean and dry when they are on land. Also, when just a very small area of hard surfaces are left without soft loose substrates, giant otters will usually eliminate only on this area, so fecal samples can be easily collected.) During introductions of unfamiliar animals and temporarily separated familiar otters, animals need to take frequent breaks from the intensity and tension (and possibly fear) of the new situation by having stimulating enclosures to focus their activities and attentions on. They also need to refocus their attention on something else other than solely each other. (It is important to remember that in addition to the otters having to adjust to each other, they also have to adjust to a new enclosure, husbandry practices, keepers, etc. when they are moved from other locations and this can cause additional stress. Also when otters are held in very small temporary holding enclosures, such as in quarantine or separable enclosure areas (during visual introductions), this may likely cause additional stress.) It is especially important that they have adequately furnished and sufficient land area to focus on to relieve their stress etc. and focus on something else other than the other otter. They also need sufficient land area to get away from each other and rest alone. Focusing solely on each other and/or abnormally elevated or excessive negative responses can cause introduction difficulties. It can result in serious fights and injuries. (Refer to Chapter 2 Sections 18 and 10C for injuries and/or deaths caused during the introduction of 116
unfamiliar and temporarily separated animals.) The other natural furnishings as recommended (see Chapter 2 Section 4), in addition to the aforementioned essential enclosure conditions, helps further to reduce stress, boredom etc. in all situations. Natural furnishings, such as plentiful large logs, bamboo stands (both live growing and/or "man-made"), etc. and the aforementioned essential enclosure conditions will also provide the following: enough land area and safe furnishings to allow an otter to get away from the other animal, stay out of the other’s view, and rest alone in semi-private places when it needs to take a break from the other otter or the intensity of the situation. (Note: nestboxes must be closed during physical full-contact introductions.) The recommended land to water ratios (i.e. enough land area), substrates, and deep digging areas are the most important enclosure conditions/husbandry provisions and otters being able to carry out digging, grooming, exercising and playing on land to their “full extent” are among the most important behaviors, that giant otters require to reduce stress and other negative responses during all situations. They are also the most important husbandry provisions and behaviors needed to resolve the aforementioned problems. These essential enclosure requirements are necessary to promote successful cub rearing and adjustment to the new/unusual situations, provide adequate enrichment, and maintain mental/behavioral health and normality. It is necessary that enclosures are as enriched as possible during new/unusual situations and cub-rearing. Note: the recommended enclosure furnishings and designs already described above are the most important forms of environmental and behavioral enrichment. If although, additional enrichment can be offered, this should be provided. For example, it is highly advisable to provide toys for additional behavioral enrichment. Toys for behavioral enrichment should only be used as addition to and never as a substitute for the recommended enclosure furnishings and designs. (See Section 15 for toys for additional enrichment.) *Giant otters that have not had exposure to appropriate enclosure conditions during their entire lives or developmental stages, or for a long period, may take some time to “adjust to activating/using” their innate terrestrial behaviors after appropriate environments are offered. They then can carry these activities out to a full or at least moderate degree of normality and healthiness, as compared to an otter that has had proper exposure throughout its lifetime. I.e. after recovery grooming, digging, playing, and exercising on land are carried out with a moderate degree of frequency, duration, and intensity. Totally healthy otters although, carry these activities out with a high degree of each. The recovered otters although have significantly improved, as without the recommended conditions these activities are not carried out at all or are carried out only to a minimal degree. The amount of time a recovered otter spends on land as opposed to in the water will also increase accordingly, most esp. because goal-oriented behaviors are carried out on land more frequently and for a longer duration. (Including resting/sleeping, they spend more of their day time hours on land than in the water.) These otters will spend significantly more time on land than an otter without the recommended circumstances that may spend most of its day in the water. These “rehabilitated” otters will although use the entire expanse of their land area to carry these terrestrial behaviors out. This represents a full recovery as they use the land area to the same extent that a totally healthy otter would. Otters without the recommended provisions will only use a limited or small part of their land area. (See the discussion below about the number of animals that have made recovery.) These recoveries are accomplished only by making simple changes to the enclosure in which the animal lives or by moving the animal to a new enclosure so that a suitable environment is 117
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International Giant Otter Studbook
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Dear reader, With this, the second
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Section 2 Introduction to Substrate
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Parental Behavior Overview.........
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Introduction This manual is a secon
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Contributing Institutions/Individua
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Dortmund Zoo: Current Director: Dr.
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Giant Otter Characteristics (The fo
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Chapter 1 Husbandry and Management
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informal international network has
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are only released into the wild, th
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malfunctions, due to severe inbreed
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maturity (i.e. at 2 years old), the
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emaining 3 institutions bred otters
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elow 240 m² (2,583.4 ft²) in size
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difficulties/abnormalities to a mod
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are to the water, but it is also de
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deep digging areas as recommended,
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greater problems. I.e. the ability
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additions that can be made to enclo
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(esp. around approx. 10 to 11 years
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Hagenbecks Tierpark Giant Otter Vac
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Dietary Related Problems: Diarrhea
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times over 10 years) then disappear
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Thyroid Malfunctions: see Chapter 1
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unpublished report 1997). His hind
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vitamin B 1 tablet and one 400 IU v
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otters were exposed to in their enc
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animal, e.g. for serious/life threa
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conditions/problems can be identifi
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that the otters are very familiar a
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Section 5 Handrearing Captive-Born
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Chapter 5 for how to measure, Chapt
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Page 71 and 72: Chapter 2: Husbandry and Management
Page 73 and 74: The following conditions (i.e. Numb
Page 75 and 76: The provision of the conditions lis
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Page 81 and 82: *Note: Duplaix’s guidelines for o
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Page 85 and 86: It is necessary that every indoor a
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Page 89 and 90: play, exercise etc. on. Note: when
Page 91 and 92: Cleaning Procedures for Substrates
Page 93 and 94: [4”] in width, could be placed 10
Page 95 and 96: The aforementioned problems are cau
Page 97 and 98: difficulties/abnormalities involvin
Page 99 and 100: they could cause similar walking di
Page 101 and 102: It is not uncommon that pink foot/t
Page 103 and 104: No additional or detailed informati
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Page 113 and 114: These husbandry provisions produce
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Page 123 and 124: inappropriate the enclosure conditi
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Page 129 and 130: Live growing bamboo springs back up
Page 131 and 132: Section 5 Locations and Designs for
Page 133 and 134: all substrates) with/without vegeta
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Page 137 and 138: Enclosures between 240 m² to 600 m
Page 139 and 140: other than substrates, and toys fro
Page 141 and 142: to help prevent water filtration/dr
Page 143 and 144: Section 10B discusses the locations
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Page 161 and 162: Chapter 1 for studies that should b
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Inbreeding, physical, behavioral, a
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underground dens in this expansive
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Section 12 Natural Underground Dens
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22.34 ft] (11 sites) ; Kabo creek (
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Section 13 Den Construction “Den
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should not be introduced with physi
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door) could instead be made in the
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Section 15 Toys & Methods for Addit
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Although once items such as cardboa
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e designed or modified with these c
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Section 18 Introducing Unfamiliar &
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have been housed together and then
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contact introduction, i.e. to stop
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Section 19 Diet and Feeding Only go
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Cuiaba Zoo in Brazil (Marcato de Ol
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are consumed in varying amounts acc
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Captive giant otters have been obse
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part of the target. The target we u
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to secure the guillotine door with
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it stays close to the target. This
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these births may go undetected. Ult
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those working with her, from being
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ody temperatures to be taken, when
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abnormally frequent or excessive, i
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with a male (other than growing up
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of course, because information rega
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seen entering the shelter alone, bu
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At Hagenbeck Tierpark, Wünnemann (
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52.5 cm [20.6"]. It is assumed that
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cub weight growth curve in Graph 2
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contain glucose rather than sucrose
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and frequency after each toileting/
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Section 4 Toileting: To produce eli
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when no other better formula is ava
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prepared artificial milk replacers
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avoid dietary problems and help cub
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formula is accomplished. When cubs
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suggested above. The same feeding f
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successfully can often be difficult
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should then be allowed to lick the
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The general guideline that food/for
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very gently dipped in the bowl into
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enough), and explore while under su
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dig into, well-draining etc.) are n
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ecome healthy and their housing can
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Section 16 Companion Cubs and Handr
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Cubs must exercise and explore to p
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Table 3 : Summary of the internatio
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Table 5 : International giant otter
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Days/ Months Sex Weight/Length (ent
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Table 7: Adult Giant Otter Weights
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Graph 2 : Giant Otter Cub Weight Gr
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Duplaix, N. 1980. Observations on t
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asiliensis, Gmelin, 1788) No Zooló
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Otter Colloquium Pietermaritzburg 1
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International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management

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