International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management

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center. It is essential that there is some ventilation provided in the lower third of the sides for the removal of waste gases. The total ventilated area must be at least 20% of the total area of the surface of all four sides. More ventilation and the use of larger meshed openings is permitted but the animal must not be able to protrude its nose or paws to the outside from any opening. If the mesh is fixed to the interior of the container all sharp edges must be protected. Spacer bars/Handles must be made to a depth of 2.5 cm (1 in.), must be present on the sides of the container as shown in the illustration. [See IATA Live Animals Regulations.] Food and water containers must be provided with a means of access from the outside. Forklift spacers must be provided if the total weight of the container plus the animal exceeds 60 kg (132 lbs.) (IATA Live Animals Regulations 26 th Edition, p296) [Hard plastic pet containers should not be used for giant otters.] Reed-Smith (2001) states: “When shipping an animal, especially across international borders, check to see what types of requirements/restrictions may be in place. For example, some countries will not accept crates in which straw has been used as a bedding material. All animals should be shipped one to a crate. Lactating mothers should not be shipped.” A transport box with the following inside measurements has been successfully used to transport an otter from Brazil to Germany. It was constructed as recommended above and its length was 140 cm (55.2”), width 60 cm (23.6”), and height 57 cm (22.5”). Substrates such as straw, leaves, or mulch etc. should be used to line the transport crate. This is necessary to absorb feces and urine and to help keep the otter clean and dry. If natural materials, such as those mentioned above, can not be used, then other materials that can be safely used, such as strips of cardboard if the otter has had regular exposure to cardboard and has never ingested it, etc. might be able to be substituted for the same purpose. Also a transport crate with a floor (i.e. where the otter will stand on) that was constructed with many long slats of wood running horizontally and fixed over top of the drop tray, worked very well to keep a giant otter clean and dry on its journey from South America to Europe. The slats were spaced closely enough together that the otters’ feet could not get caught in or go between the slats. In this case no substrates were used to line the transport crate. Note from the author/compiler: Giant otters do not seem to be able to bite on wood structures that have no exposed edges or corners and there are no known reports that otters have done such. It has not been proven necessary to line the inside of wooden transport crates with fence/lattice when transporting giant otters and this is not advisable. E.g. giant otters have been transported successfuly and without problems from distances as far as South America to Europe when wooden transport boxes were not lined with fence/lattice. Exposure to fence/lattice on the inside of crates could likely cause damage to the otters’ delicate sensitive foot pads, webbing and/or skin. 198
Captive giant otters have been observed to have a low heat tolerance (Carter & Rosas 1997; Sykes-Gatz & Gatz pers. obs.). Great caution must be taken when shipping animals during warm weather and as well when they are shipped in colder temperatures. Temperatures between approximately 60° F to no more than 80° F (15.5° C to 26.6° C) during transport are adequate. 199
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International Giant Otter Studbook
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Dear reader, With this, the second
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Section 2 Introduction to Substrate
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Parental Behavior Overview.........
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Introduction This manual is a secon
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Contributing Institutions/Individua
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Dortmund Zoo: Current Director: Dr.
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Giant Otter Characteristics (The fo
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Chapter 1 Husbandry and Management
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informal international network has
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are only released into the wild, th
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malfunctions, due to severe inbreed
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maturity (i.e. at 2 years old), the
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emaining 3 institutions bred otters
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elow 240 m² (2,583.4 ft²) in size
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difficulties/abnormalities to a mod
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are to the water, but it is also de
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deep digging areas as recommended,
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greater problems. I.e. the ability
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additions that can be made to enclo
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(esp. around approx. 10 to 11 years
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Hagenbecks Tierpark Giant Otter Vac
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Dietary Related Problems: Diarrhea
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times over 10 years) then disappear
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Thyroid Malfunctions: see Chapter 1
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unpublished report 1997). His hind
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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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Page 161 and 162: Chapter 1 for studies that should b
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Page 169 and 170: Inbreeding, physical, behavioral, a
Page 171 and 172: underground dens in this expansive
Page 173 and 174: Section 12 Natural Underground Dens
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Page 177 and 178: Section 13 Den Construction “Den
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Page 183 and 184: Section 15 Toys & Methods for Addit
Page 185 and 186: Although once items such as cardboa
Page 187 and 188: e designed or modified with these c
Page 189 and 190: Section 18 Introducing Unfamiliar &
Page 191 and 192: have been housed together and then
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Page 195 and 196: Section 19 Diet and Feeding Only go
Page 197 and 198: Cuiaba Zoo in Brazil (Marcato de Ol
Page 199: are consumed in varying amounts acc
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Page 205 and 206: to secure the guillotine door with
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Page 223 and 224: At Hagenbeck Tierpark, Wünnemann (
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Page 233 and 234: Section 4 Toileting: To produce eli
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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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