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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care for the cubs (Schenck & Schenck 1994). Both parents, in addition to the older siblings,<br />
play a significant role in the care of the cubs (Duplaix-Hall 1980; Schenck & Staib 1994). (In<br />
the wild, these animals usually have one litter per year.) Captive giant otters will also bond for<br />
life <strong>and</strong> both parents care for the cubs together; see below for older siblings helping to care for<br />
their younger siblings in captivity.<br />
<strong>Giant</strong> otters are social animals <strong>and</strong> in captivity they should be housed as a single mated<br />
pair with/without offspring, having only one breeding pair. Currently there are a significant<br />
number of otters being housed singly or in single sex pairs <strong>and</strong> this number has a critically<br />
negative effect on the small captive population. (See Chapter 1 Section 1 for more information.)<br />
Single sex groups, usually males <strong>and</strong> usually 2 individuals <strong>and</strong> rarely 3 in a group, have been<br />
kept together successfully, but they must be reared together or introduced with proper<br />
introduction practices (see Section 18 below). Adult females have been reported to live<br />
together, although only a few cases were reported <strong>and</strong> no other information is known at this<br />
time. (See the exception below.) It is not advisable to introduce adult females. For example,<br />
the following occurred at two institutions, even when females were kept in adjacent enclosures<br />
that were separated with fences that allowed visual-olfactory-acoustic contact for a considerable<br />
time before a physical full-contact introduction was attempted. At the time of the full-contact<br />
introduction, one female was attacked by the other <strong>and</strong> she died from the serious injuries that<br />
were inflicted upon her (Brasilia Zoo staff, pers. comm.). Note: one female at the time of the<br />
introduction had offspring with her; this is the female that died. At the other institution, “In two<br />
occasions the female defended her territory [by fighting] against another female, which we tried<br />
to introduce,...” (Trebbau, 1972). See another case of failed introduction between temporarily<br />
separated adult females below. (During introductions/re-introductions <strong>and</strong> more commonly,<br />
females are reported to have injured or killed males <strong>and</strong> even other females, but also males have<br />
injured other males. Females seem to be the more dominant animal during introductions, <strong>and</strong><br />
afterwards once animals are paired, <strong>and</strong> they seem to initiate fights more often. Females <strong>and</strong><br />
males fought against their own sex, females fought males, young otters fought against other<br />
unfamiliar young otters, <strong>and</strong> adults fought against unfamiliar young animals. All otters that are<br />
unfamiliar with each other or that have been kept together <strong>and</strong> temporarily separated must be<br />
introduced with proper introduction methods.) In one case an adult male killed a juvenile male<br />
(Kranz pers. comm.) <strong>and</strong> it is assumed that these animals were familiar with each other.<br />
Trebbau (1972) noted that “...in captivity it is necessary to separate the mature males, as they<br />
tend to fight”. Although overall, reports have shown that adult males have lived together<br />
successfully <strong>and</strong> it is not unusual that adult males are kept together. E.g. at Philadelphia Zoo<br />
(Sykes-Gatz, pers. comm.) adult males lived together as compatible partners, though often at<br />
feeding times they had small brief quarrels <strong>and</strong> growling, <strong>and</strong> sometimes even small fights.<br />
They although did not inflict injury upon one another. These behaviors were similar to <strong>and</strong> no<br />
less severe than those that captive male <strong>and</strong> female pairs have carried out; see below.<br />
“Problems [occurred] with the combination of two young males with one older female. Several<br />
occasions [occurred] with aggression <strong>and</strong> fights with the female being <strong>and</strong> imposing her<br />
dominance.” (Vera da Silva, pers. comm. 1998). There have been several situations where<br />
mixed sex groups with adult animals, e.g. 2 males <strong>and</strong> a female, 3 females <strong>and</strong> a male, have<br />
lived together <strong>and</strong> it is assumed they co-existed without significant problems, although no<br />
specific reports or other information about these animals were available.<br />
Removal of any family/member of a giant otter group during cub rearing or close to<br />
parturition will likely cause litter loss. It is crucially important to closely monitor a female<br />
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