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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exposed to similar situations as just aforementioned [partial improvements in enclosure<br />
conditions] <strong>and</strong> reports indicated that their behavioral health improved as well. No additional or<br />
detailed information was available.)<br />
**When the percentage of day-time hours that an otter spends on l<strong>and</strong> vs. in the water or<br />
terrestrial <strong>and</strong> aquatic activities are studied in captivity, the following must be taken into<br />
account <strong>and</strong> analyzed when results are interpreted <strong>and</strong> conclusions are drawn. The<br />
presence <strong>and</strong> extent/degree of appropriate <strong>and</strong> inappropriate enclosure designs <strong>and</strong> furnishings<br />
(i.e. esp. whether the recommended l<strong>and</strong> to water ratios, l<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> floor substrates, <strong>and</strong> deep<br />
digging areas are offered), husb<strong>and</strong>ry <strong>and</strong> management practices, <strong>and</strong> particular/non-typical life<br />
events (i.e. whether parents are rearing cubs or otters are in unusual/unfamiliar circumstances<br />
etc.) must be evaluated. Natural environmental conditions (i.e. weather conditions, e.g. such as<br />
extended rainy, hot, or very cold periods etc.), how much exposure animals have had in their past<br />
to inappropriate <strong>and</strong>/or appropriate enclosure conditions, animal health <strong>and</strong> social structure must<br />
also be evaluated. These factors can significantly affect otter behavior <strong>and</strong> activities <strong>and</strong><br />
therefore the results of such studies. When one or more of these factors are not accounted<br />
for, misleading conclusions can be made that other captive otters will or should also act in<br />
similar ways in other conditions, whether these conditions are similar to those in the study or<br />
not. Behavior exhibited by otters kept in inappropriate enclosure conditions or by those<br />
that did not recover to 100% normality <strong>and</strong> health after they were offered appropriate<br />
conditions, may also be misinterpreted as being completely normal healthy behavior, when<br />
the relevant factors are not taken into consideration.<br />
**Specific considerations must also be accounted for when attempts are made to compare<br />
the percentage of day-time hours that a wild otter spends on l<strong>and</strong> vs. in the water to that of<br />
the same in otters in captivity. Such comparisons can not accurately be made on the premise<br />
that captive <strong>and</strong> wild otters should act similarly, because such a premise is incorrect. (The<br />
same/similar considerations should also be taken into account when other particular terrestrial<br />
<strong>and</strong> aquatic activity/behavior studies are compared.) In captivity, otters live in a very different<br />
environment compared to the natural habitat that their wild relatives live in. A giant otter or any<br />
otter species in the wild will act, at least in certain aspects, differently than its relative held in<br />
captivity. This is because on a daily basis a wild otter encounters <strong>and</strong> must respond to (with a<br />
wide variety of behaviors) a very different situation than a captive otter. The unpredictability<br />
<strong>and</strong> varied <strong>and</strong> challenging conditions found in the wild can never be fully replicated in<br />
captivity. (Of course although it is important to provide these conditions to the greatest degree<br />
that is possible in captivity.) E.g. giant otters in captivity are not dependent upon fishing or<br />
searching for fish over a large expanse or significantly varied <strong>and</strong> highly challenging<br />
environment to acquire their food. It can be reasoned that when live fish are regularly offered in<br />
most any pool in captivity, regardless of how complex or how large a pool in captivity could<br />
realistically be, otters would need to spend much less time hunting for fish in that pool,<br />
compared to the time that they or their wild relatives would need to spend hunting for fish in the<br />
natural world. Captive held otters also do not have to swim throughout an expansive,<br />
unpredictable <strong>and</strong> challenging territory to patrol their enclosure area for intruders, reach old<br />
campsites/dens (to maintain or use them) or locate areas for new ones etc.. In comparison, giant<br />
otters in the wild are faced with these daily challenges <strong>and</strong> this will affect the amount of time a<br />
wild giant otter must spend in the water. (Group social structure, environmental conditions, the<br />
occurrence of cub-rearing etc. must be evaluated when l<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> water activity/behavior studies<br />
are carried out in the wild as well.)<br />
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