International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management

water’s edge. As well, in the aforementioned enclosure sizes long water area contour
lines/edges should not be used, although varied water area contour lines/shapes are highly
recommended. When enclosures are significantly larger than 240 m² in size and provide the
recommended land to water ratios and substrates, water areas should be designed with long and
varied contour lines/shapes. This will provide more variety, stimulation, challenges etc. and it
will also offer plentiful shallow areas. (See about land to water ratios above.)
A significant amount of water will always be tracked, carried, or splashed onto the land by the
otters. Continually very damp or wet surfaces are caused by not enough land area because of
inappropriate land to water ratios, substrates depths that are below the recommended minimum
depth, or inappropriate substrate types or qualities (esp. hard or artificial surfaces, poor
draining/slow drying soil, mulch bark pieces that have broken into small pieces and packed
down). Surfaces also remain very damp or wet when there is not enough land area bordering
and extending away from the water’s edge, more land area is exposed to the water’s edge than
recommended, inappropriate water area contour lines are used, or nestboxes, dens, or areas for
natural underground dens are located too close to the water. Nestboxes (including bedding
substrates), dens, and natural underground dens, as well as a significant proportion of the other
land/floor areas, can remain very damp or wet when any of the inappropriate enclosure
conditions aforementioned exist. Health problems, some very serious, can develop as a result
from these conditions (see Section 3 above). The recommended conditions above and those
in Section 1B and Sections 2 & 5 are needed to keep land and floor areas (including dens,
nestboxes, and underground dens) dry enough so that they will not cause health problems.
It is essential that the provisions within these sections are offered. These are among the most
important requirements necessary for the husbandry of giant otters.
Streams (whether artificial or natural) and natural ponds in outdoor enclosures provide
interesting variety and they will be well used. In addition to the main pools in large indoor and
outdoor enclosures, a small pool of water that is totally separated from or connected to the main
pool is also especially well used during play, swimming etc.. Small additional pools in indoor
enclosures can be around at least 3 m 2 (32.29 ft²) in size and 65 cm (26") deep with gently
sloping pool edges. An additional small outdoor pool can be approx. 10 m 2 (107.64 ft²), or
larger in enclosures above 600 m² (6,458.4 ft²) in size, and 65 cm deep at the deepest point with
gently sloping pool sides. In addition small areas, pockets, tanks, or tubs of shallow water that
are separated from or connected to larger swim areas, for example 1 m² to 2 m 2 (10.76 ft² to
20.93 ft²) in size and 30 cm (12") to 40 cm (16") deep, are also well liked and frequently used
for playing, swimming, and wading in. Note: the aforementioned pools are not meant to serve
as the main pools in either indoor or outdoor enclosures. Additional small pools as described
are not recommended for use in small enclosures, because land area is already limited. All areas
intended for water, regardless of their size and how many there are within an enclosure, must be
included when land to water ratios are determined. Water that flows also provides a source of
enrichment (see the last paragraph below).
The content of indoor and outdoor pools should be varied so that otters have a more
challenging and stimulating place to swim, play, investigate, chase each other and live fish etc..
A pool that only offers water and no natural furnishings within it, is an unenriched and
unstimulating environment. Pools should be enriched with a variety and plentiful amount
of natural furnishings. They can be inexpensively and easily enriched with furniture such
as small and medium size logs (with/without bark), large and small tree branches and tall
bamboo (i.e. with/without leaves), sticks, tree bark, aquatic vegetation, and rocks (e.g. small
river rocks and larger). Leaves on branches and bamboo and bark can be removed if necessary
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