International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management

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International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management Information and Guidelines (2005) Husbandry and Management of the Giant Otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) 2 nd Edition Updated December 2004 Compiled and Authored by: Sheila Sykes-Gatz (Zoo Dortmund, Germany) E-mail: v.gatz@cityweb.de or sheilasykes@hotmail.com Published by: Zoologischer Garten Dortmund Dr. Frank Brandstätter, Zoo Director Mergelteichstraße 80 44225 Dortmund Germany Phone: 0231 5028581 Fax: 0231 712175 zoo@dortmund.de Cover Photo: Kerby at Zoo Dortmund.. Photo by Sheila Sykes-Gatz
Dear reader, With this, the second and extended edition of the „Husbandry Guidelines” for the Giant Otter, one of the most fascinating species in the world, Sheila Sykes-Gatz is providing us with the most extensive and detailed volume that has ever been written about Giant Otters and their management in captivity. Thus, the information given is essential for anybody interested in Giant Otters. Sheila Sykes-Gatz has not only focussed on the external factors of Giant Otter keeping but has also paid close attention to the “inside” of the animals themselves, trying to examine their basic needs and find out about the factors that are most influential in the lives of Giant Otters. She has accumulated a large amount of biological and ethological knowledge about a species whose future is quite unsure. The Giant Otter is still ranking among the most threatened mammal species in the world. The major reasons for that are all human-induced: the destroying of their environment (forests along the river systems) and they are still being hunted for their pelts and as rivals to the local fishing industries. Thus, any contribution to the welfare of Giant Otters in captivity will add to the conservation of the species as part of our natural heritage. I would like to thank Sheila Sykes-Gatz for the immense work she has done. It is an important contribution to the quality management of Giant Otters in the zoo. Dortmund, March 2005 Dr. Frank Brandstätter Director of Dortmund Zoo 1
Page 1: International Giant Otter Studbook
Page 5 and 6: Section 2 Introduction to Substrate
Page 7 and 8: Parental Behavior Overview.........
Page 9 and 10: Introduction This manual is a secon
Page 11 and 12: Contributing Institutions/Individua
Page 13 and 14: Dortmund Zoo: Current Director: Dr.
Page 15 and 16: Giant Otter Characteristics (The fo
Page 17 and 18: Chapter 1 Husbandry and Management
Page 19 and 20: informal international network has
Page 21 and 22: are only released into the wild, th
Page 23 and 24: malfunctions, due to severe inbreed
Page 25 and 26: maturity (i.e. at 2 years old), the
Page 27 and 28: emaining 3 institutions bred otters
Page 29 and 30: elow 240 m² (2,583.4 ft²) in size
Page 31 and 32: difficulties/abnormalities to a mod
Page 33 and 34: are to the water, but it is also de
Page 35 and 36: deep digging areas as recommended,
Page 37 and 38: greater problems. I.e. the ability
Page 39 and 40: additions that can be made to enclo
Page 41 and 42: (esp. around approx. 10 to 11 years
Page 43 and 44: Hagenbecks Tierpark Giant Otter Vac
Page 45 and 46: Dietary Related Problems: Diarrhea
Page 47 and 48: times over 10 years) then disappear
Page 49 and 50: Thyroid Malfunctions: see Chapter 1
Page 51 and 52: unpublished report 1997). His hind
Page 53 and 54:
vitamin B 1 tablet and one 400 IU v
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otters were exposed to in their enc
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animal, e.g. for serious/life threa
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conditions/problems can be identifi
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that the otters are very familiar a
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Section 5 Handrearing Captive-Born
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Chapter 5 for how to measure, Chapt
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proper authorities (i.e. park offic
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oth cubs were adopted by a wild ott
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Chapter 2: Husbandry and Management
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The following conditions (i.e. Numb
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The provision of the conditions lis
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proportionately increased and the w
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does not offer the same advantages
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*Note: Duplaix’s guidelines for o
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dry easily, drain well, and be resi
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It is necessary that every indoor a
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Deep Digging Area Necessary For Eac
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play, exercise etc. on. Note: when
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Cleaning Procedures for Substrates
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[4”] in width, could be placed 10
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The aforementioned problems are cau
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difficulties/abnormalities involvin
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they could cause similar walking di
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It is not uncommon that pink foot/t
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No additional or detailed informati
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provided as recommended, so that ot
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housed. It also may be that the lon
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or high humidity, esp. extended per
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dry areas in enclosures should also
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These husbandry provisions produce
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underground den building which is a
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more unsuitable the enclosure land
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unfamiliar and temporarily separate
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exposed to similar situations as ju
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inappropriate the enclosure conditi
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study. They also have been successf
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furnishings will also remain drier
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Live growing bamboo springs back up
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Section 5 Locations and Designs for
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all substrates) with/without vegeta
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indoors. Otters can also use each c
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Enclosures between 240 m² to 600 m
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other than substrates, and toys fro
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to help prevent water filtration/dr
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Section 10B discusses the locations
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areas may be sufficient when otters
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their normal daily terrestrial acti
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described below and in Section 12 b
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hear, that even familiar keepers ar
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nervous in behavior even during nor
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expansive enclosures are available
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the husbandry practices recommended
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keep cubs from crawling out (Duplai
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Chapter 1 for studies that should b
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practices and enclosure designs all
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care for the cubs (Schenck & Schenc
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was moved to another enclosure (Gat
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Inbreeding, physical, behavioral, a
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underground dens in this expansive
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Section 12 Natural Underground Dens
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22.34 ft] (11 sites) ; Kabo creek (
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Section 13 Den Construction “Den
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should not be introduced with physi
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door) could instead be made in the
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Section 15 Toys & Methods for Addit
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Although once items such as cardboa
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e designed or modified with these c
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Section 18 Introducing Unfamiliar &
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have been housed together and then
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contact introduction, i.e. to stop
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Section 19 Diet and Feeding Only go
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Cuiaba Zoo in Brazil (Marcato de Ol
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are consumed in varying amounts acc
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Captive giant otters have been obse
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part of the target. The target we u
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to secure the guillotine door with
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it stays close to the target. This
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these births may go undetected. Ult
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those working with her, from being
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ody temperatures to be taken, when
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abnormally frequent or excessive, i
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with a male (other than growing up
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of course, because information rega
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seen entering the shelter alone, bu
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At Hagenbeck Tierpark, Wünnemann (
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52.5 cm [20.6"]. It is assumed that
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cub weight growth curve in Graph 2
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contain glucose rather than sucrose
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and frequency after each toileting/
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Section 4 Toileting: To produce eli
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when no other better formula is ava
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prepared artificial milk replacers
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avoid dietary problems and help cub
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formula is accomplished. When cubs
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suggested above. The same feeding f
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successfully can often be difficult
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should then be allowed to lick the
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The general guideline that food/for
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very gently dipped in the bowl into
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enough), and explore while under su
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dig into, well-draining etc.) are n
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ecome healthy and their housing can
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Section 16 Companion Cubs and Handr
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Cubs must exercise and explore to p
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Table 3 : Summary of the internatio
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Table 5 : International giant otter
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Days/ Months Sex Weight/Length (ent
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Table 7: Adult Giant Otter Weights
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Graph 2 : Giant Otter Cub Weight Gr
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Duplaix, N. 1980. Observations on t
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asiliensis, Gmelin, 1788) No Zooló
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Otter Colloquium Pietermaritzburg 1
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