International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management

A dummy portable ultrasound was developed at Dortmund Zoo and made from a cardboard box
(to represent the monitor), a long thick plastic electric wire, and a small plastic container that is
shaped just like the real ultrasound head. The dummy ultrasound head was attached at the end
of the wire (with duct tape) and the other end of the wire was attached to the box. This was
used to imitate the real ultrasound machine during ultrasound training sessions.
A wooden frame was designed so that a small floor scale for human use could be placed in the
frame on the floor and be secured so that it would not move around when an adult giant otter is
standing on it. (The wooden frame is attached to the containment barrier lattice to secure the
frame and it is detachable so it can be stored away.) We found that a conventional scale (i.e.
without an electric readout) is easier to read as the scale stabilizes more easily (with movement)
than an electric read out. (The otter’s tail must be off the floor during weighing.) A metal beam
scale (used to weigh large animals) can also be fitted with a large removable wooden board, so
that the otter can stand with all four feet/lay his/her entire body, including the tail, on the
wooden board. (The wooden board can be temporarily bolted onto the two metal beams to
provide safety to the otter, prevent the otter from pushing/lifting the board off the beams, and so
the scale can be assembled and disassembled with ease during transport and storage. The
electric wires can be covered with PVC pipes and duct tape for safety and run under/through
containment barrier fences.) This way the weight of the otter’s tail, which is quite significant,
can be easily included to determine the otter’s entire body weight. This method for weighing
adult giant otters was first designed and used at Philadelphia Zoo (Sykes 1997-99) and
Philadelphia continues to use this procedure.
A kennel crate (plastic porta-crate for a large dog) is used at Dortmund Zoo for crate training
and temporary transports within the zoo itself (i.e. this type of crate is not safe for other
transport uses). For safety, the crate itself is secured, with wires, to the training/den/sleep area
containment fence barrier when it is not in active transport. As well, the crate’s (metal) shift
gate/door that swings open is secured to the containment barrier fence/lattice, with a wire, in the
open position. (These precautions are especially important to prevent entrapment in the water
etc. Otters may also destroy this light weight crate.) The crate’s shift gate is only unfastened
from the barrier lattice during training/actual use. The trainer’s hand can fit through the 5 cm x
20 cm (2" x 8") lattice barrier to control the movements of the shift door and to latch the shift
door shut. (As well a long pole can be passed through the containment barrier lattice to control
and temporarily secure the door, if the trainer is unable to pass his/her hand through the lattice.)
The trainer can then detach the wires securing the crate to the den lattice, enter the den, then
move/transport the crate. At Dortmund, a large metal lattice crate is used for moves no more
than an hour or so long and a large wooden nestbox type crate (with appropriate air ventilation
etc.) is used for long transports (for international transport). (Securable nestboxes and tunnel
sections can also be easily used for quick in-zoo transports.)
A very large plastic dog kennel crate was also specially fitted/designed and used for crate
training at Philadelphia Zoo (Sykes 1997-99). The metal crate door (that swung) was replaced
by a metal guillotine sliding shift door that could be controlled by a shift cable and handle. The
crate was placed in an indoor den, a detachable shift cable was attached to the guillotine door,
and the cable led from the crate to the den ceiling, and through the den, to the opposite side of
the den fence containment barrier, and out to the keeper hallway (via pulleys). The trainer
controlled the shift door via the cable handle from the hallway. The guillotine door must close
tightly (i.e. with no gap between the door and crate), so that otters can not lift the door up.
After the otters enter the crate and the guillotine door is closed, the trainer can go inside the den
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