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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study. They also have been successfully adjusting to new/unusual situations. See the behaviors<br />
exhibited during cub-rearing before <strong>and</strong> during two of these animals’ recoveries in Section 10<br />
below.<br />
The last or fourth aforementioned individual otter seemed to be very “wary” of soft loose natural<br />
substrates in the first week of initial exposure to this surface. Within the next days he became<br />
more comfortable with the substrates. (Initially he walked on top of <strong>and</strong> investigated the mulch<br />
<strong>and</strong> s<strong>and</strong> in a very cautious, suspicious, <strong>and</strong> fearful manner. He also had the same fear for the<br />
bamboo <strong>and</strong> cardboard boxes in his enclosure. He was also fearful of any change to or within<br />
his enclosure or any movement made by his caretakers. He had just been moved to a new<br />
facility, although these reactions to such a change have not been reported to occur in other giant<br />
otters.) After the first 1 1/2 weeks, he was introduced to his new female mate, who had<br />
completely healthy terrestrial <strong>and</strong> mental/health behaviors, <strong>and</strong> whom he had been watching on<br />
the other side of his enclosure. This male who did not yet exhibit digging <strong>and</strong> grooming<br />
behaviors, initiated these behaviors to a extraordinarily high frequency, duration <strong>and</strong> intensity on<br />
the day that he was first physically introduced to his new mate. He also used the entire enclosure<br />
l<strong>and</strong> area to carry out these behaviors. He used the bamboo with great frequency <strong>and</strong> played<br />
with the cardboard boxes on the same day. (See a full description in the paragraph below.) It<br />
although took him several more months after he was first introduced to his new housing<br />
conditions (<strong>and</strong> new mate), to act normally (i.e. without abnormally elevated or excessive levels<br />
of fear) to any new changes <strong>and</strong> his caretakers.<br />
Although, the following events occurred when the last aforementioned animal <strong>and</strong> his new mate,<br />
which were first given a proper visual-acoustic-olfactory introduction because they were<br />
unfamiliar with each other, underwent their first day of a full physical contact introduction.<br />
(Their enclosures, which were adjacent to each other, had appropriate l<strong>and</strong> to water ratios,<br />
substrates, <strong>and</strong> deep digging areas as well as plentiful natural furnishings <strong>and</strong> toys. Their two<br />
separate enclosures, which were divided by an introduction fence, were connected for the<br />
physical introduction.) Both individuals, with an extraordinarily increased amount of duration,<br />
intensity, <strong>and</strong> frequency, as compared to an otter under normal circumstances, groomed <strong>and</strong> dug<br />
deep into the mulch <strong>and</strong> s<strong>and</strong> throughout their entire enclosures. They also, to the same<br />
extraordinary degree, manipulated <strong>and</strong> played with the plentiful supply of st<strong>and</strong>ing,<br />
overhanging, or just pulled down "man-made bamboo st<strong>and</strong>s" throughout their enclosures. (The<br />
bamboo st<strong>and</strong>s were made as recommended, see Chapter 2 Section 4.) They carried out these<br />
behaviors, to an extraordinary degree, over several hours. (They had opportunity to carry out<br />
other behaviors, such as swimming etc. to this unique degree, but they did not.) This<br />
significantly reduced their stress <strong>and</strong> prevented them from focusing solely on each other during<br />
the full-contact introduction. The bamboo <strong>and</strong> logs in their enclosures also gave them plentiful<br />
area to lay or rest behind when they wanted to get away from the other otter for a break in the<br />
tension. The nestboxes were closed to prevent entrapment during the introduction. Although<br />
there was a significant degree of tension <strong>and</strong> stress during the first several hours of the<br />
introduction as could be expected, excessive or abnormally elevated stress <strong>and</strong> tension, <strong>and</strong><br />
serious fighting did not develop. A worse situation could have easily developed if they were<br />
kept in inappropriate enclosure conditions <strong>and</strong> had nothing else better than each other or the<br />
intensity <strong>and</strong> tension etc. of the situation, to solely focus their attentions on. These animals were<br />
able to stay together permanently from their first full day of contact onwards. It was a highly<br />
successful introduction <strong>and</strong> the otters adjusted well to each other within the first day of fullcontact.<br />
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