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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22.34 ft] (11 sites) ; Kabo creek (Tibiti river) 12.25 m x 6.96 [40.19 ft x 22.84 ft] (16 sites), <strong>and</strong><br />
Kaboeri creek 8.94 m x 5.99 [29.33 ft x 19.65 ft] (50 sites).” Sites although have been recorded<br />
to be as long as 28 m (91.87 ft) in length <strong>and</strong> as wide as 14.7 m (48.23 ft) in width. Generally<br />
sites (as well as latrines) are enlarged with each subsequent visit.<br />
The provision of stable support structures, e.g. very large logs or boulders, wooden<br />
constructions etc., for otters to dig under may help prevent natural underground dens from<br />
caving in. Additionally, trees, large bushes, or large tree stumps with long extended roots<br />
may help prevent cave-ins <strong>and</strong> soil/hill erosion so they are highly recommended. Dens<br />
should be checked for stability (i.e. cave-ins). One institution, Belem Zoo in Brazil, reported<br />
that the dens that giant otters dug caved in. The otters were although able to successfully dig a<br />
den under a concrete nestbox, that was already within the enclosure, as it acted as a support<br />
structure for the natural den. A cub was reared successfully in this natural den. It is interesting<br />
to note that the parents rearing cubs preferred to rear their cub in the natural dens, rather than in<br />
the (artificial) concrete nestbox already available.<br />
Multiple successful litters were reared in otter-dug underground dens at three of the six zoos<br />
world-wide <strong>and</strong> historically with successfully reared litters. Two of these successful zoos had<br />
expansive semi-natural or natural exhibits (i.e. enclosures at least 600m² (6,458.4 ft²) or more in<br />
size) as well, which is also very important to aid successful cub-rearing. This is because the size<br />
of the enclosure alone provided a great deal of privacy <strong>and</strong> the optimal enclosure conditions<br />
offered many other benefits as well. Note: one of the pairs to give birth at one of the<br />
aforementioned institutions with otter-dug underground dens, Museu Paraense Emilio Goeldi<br />
(Belem, Brazil), was loaned to a private facility called Criatorio Crocodilo Safari (Belem,<br />
Brazil). Because this same pair gave birth to at least one or more successful litters at both of the<br />
two aforementioned institutions, these two institutions are associated, <strong>and</strong> no other breeding<br />
pairs were known to be held at these institutions, these two institutions are counted, except<br />
where noted (see below), as one institution for all data within this manual. The facilities are<br />
also referred to as “Belem”. If these two institutions were not counted as one, then in total<br />
(historically <strong>and</strong> world-wide) three institutions had expansive semi-natural or natural enclosures.<br />
As well, it is assumed that four had natural underground dens (three institutions where known to<br />
have underground dens), where cubs were reared successfully. The total number of institutions<br />
to successfully rear cubs would then also have to be increased to seven. See the international<br />
<strong>and</strong> historical cub-rearing statistics in Tables 2-3.<br />
At Brasilia Zoo (Brazil) their semi-natural 635 m 2 (6,835 ft²) outdoor exhibit, with an 85% l<strong>and</strong><br />
to 15% water ratio, vegetation (i.e. grass etc.), <strong>and</strong> l<strong>and</strong> areas nearly entirely covered with soft<br />
loose natural soil (i.e. Non-ferric Red Latosol), offers plentiful hillsides where the otters dug/dig<br />
many underground dens throughout. All of their many successful litters (from several pairs of<br />
parents) were reared in these underground dens <strong>and</strong> the otters slept/sleep in the dens nightly.<br />
(No nestboxes or indoor enclosures needed to be provided.) With a high frequency throughout<br />
the day the animals groom, dry, rub, roll, scratch, <strong>and</strong> dig on/into the surface of the soil <strong>and</strong> they<br />
dig deep into the soft soil on the hillsides. The expanse of the enclosure <strong>and</strong> l<strong>and</strong> area, the<br />
natural underground dens, the large expanse of hillsides provided to accommodate the dens, <strong>and</strong><br />
the optimal enclosure conditions were very important to aid successful cub-rearing. Two thirds<br />
of the giant enclosure l<strong>and</strong> area perimeter is surrounded by hills (i.e. one continuous large hill)<br />
with approx. a 40-45 o angle <strong>and</strong> they are extended at least 2 m (6.56 ft) high or more. The base<br />
of the hills are located behind <strong>and</strong> near the water’s edge/shoreline <strong>and</strong> at the top of the hills is an<br />
expansive level flat l<strong>and</strong> area. A large st<strong>and</strong> of bamboo formerly grew in part of the large open<br />
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