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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during cub-rearing. This section also describes locations <strong>and</strong> designs for keeper access doors<br />
(to enclosures, buildings housing enclosures, dens, etc.) <strong>and</strong> animal shift doors/gates needed for<br />
the same reasons.<br />
Locations <strong>and</strong> Designs for Visual-Acoustic-Olfactory Introductions of Unfamiliar <strong>and</strong><br />
Temporarily Separated <strong>Otter</strong>s<br />
Chapter 2 Section 18 describes the enclosure designs <strong>and</strong> locations necessary to carry out<br />
introductions of giant otters that are unfamiliar with each other <strong>and</strong> those that have been<br />
temporarily separated (i.e. animals that were previously housed together).<br />
Locations <strong>and</strong> Designs to Maintain Appropriate Temperatures Within All Enclosure<br />
Areas<br />
Chapter 2 Section 9 discusses the enclosure, nestbox, <strong>and</strong> den locations <strong>and</strong> designs that are<br />
necessary to maintain dens, nestboxes, <strong>and</strong> other enclosure areas at appropriate temperatures.<br />
This section also describes locations <strong>and</strong> designs for animal shift doors/gates needed for the<br />
same reasons.<br />
Locations <strong>and</strong> Designs For <strong>Husb<strong>and</strong>ry</strong> Training<br />
Chapter 2 Section 13 <strong>and</strong> Chapter 3 describe den <strong>and</strong> other enclosure areas where husb<strong>and</strong>ry<br />
training can be carried out <strong>and</strong> designs that can accommodate husb<strong>and</strong>ry training activities <strong>and</strong><br />
procedures.<br />
Section 6<br />
Enclosure Vegetation<br />
A plentiful amount <strong>and</strong> variety of vegetation should be provided in enclosures (Duplaix-Hall<br />
1972 &1975). This will help to keep enclosures dry, enriched <strong>and</strong> complex, provide necessary<br />
shade, as well as help prevent soil <strong>and</strong> hill/bank erosion <strong>and</strong> the caving in of natural<br />
underground dens. See below for a discussion on the necessity that exists to allow<br />
vegetation/turf to be freely dug up <strong>and</strong> cleared away/destroyed by the otters.<br />
It is highly recommended to provide live growing bamboo st<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong>/or “man-made<br />
bamboo st<strong>and</strong>s / overhanging bamboo” that have the recommended stalk sizes that are<br />
needed for successful utilization, in both indoor <strong>and</strong> outdoor enclosures. The latter, which is<br />
bamboo cut <strong>and</strong> st<strong>and</strong>ing or overhanging for otters to play with, can be easily <strong>and</strong> inexpensively<br />
constructed as described in Section 4 above. (See the necessary stalk size/bamboo type below<br />
<strong>and</strong> Section 4 for a full description of bamboo types <strong>and</strong> uses.) Because both of these<br />
provisions are used so often by giant otters for manipulation <strong>and</strong> play, it is advisable to<br />
offer them. Resilient, soft, <strong>and</strong> flexible, both live <strong>and</strong> cut bamboo works especially well for<br />
both otters to use <strong>and</strong> play with <strong>and</strong> caretakers to easily provide <strong>and</strong> maintain. Live growing<br />
bamboo springs back up again undamaged after the otters play with it. After the animals<br />
continually use it <strong>and</strong> when it is tall enough, the bamboo will continue to grow normally<br />
without being damaged or destroyed whether it is growing outdoors or within large containers<br />
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