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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malfunctions, due to severe inbreeding, were likely to have prevented the survival of all of the<br />
cubs born at the fourth institution, Dortmund Zoo (Osmann & Wisser 2001). (This institution<br />
only had one breeding pair <strong>and</strong> this pair had 28 cubs/13 litters born from 1995-2002. No cub<br />
born from this pair, whether parent-reared or h<strong>and</strong>-reared (8 were h<strong>and</strong>reared), survived beyond<br />
3 months of age. It is expected that this breeding pair will never reproduce successfully <strong>and</strong> that<br />
this problem likely resulted from three generations of inbreeding. These conclusions were<br />
based on necropsies (i.e. where thyroid gl<strong>and</strong>s were closely examined <strong>and</strong> found to be nonfunctioning<br />
or malfunctioning) <strong>and</strong> similar cub symptoms. Cub deaths, mostly very young<br />
cubs, also resulted when the parents ate or severely abused them (esp. soon after their birth)<br />
when seclusion was not offered during previous litters. See Chapter 5 Section 5 for more<br />
information on this problem.)<br />
From 1998 to 2002, all four of the aforementioned institutions provided their parents with<br />
privacy from human disturbances <strong>and</strong> presence during cub-rearing through their management<br />
methods <strong>and</strong>/or “exhibit design” alone. [Note: Museu Goeldi (Belem) provided privacy through<br />
their management methods <strong>and</strong> Criatorio Crocodilo Safari (also referred to as Belem) provided<br />
privacy through their “exhibit design”. ] Cali Zoo although did not use this method for three of<br />
their litters (7 cubs total) during this time <strong>and</strong> their zoo staff believed that the seven very young<br />
cubs in these litters were eaten by their parents because of human disturbances (Corredor, pers.<br />
comm.). These cubs accounted for 17.5% of the total number of cubs born between 1998-2002.<br />
Of the total number of cubs that were born live at all four of these institutions between 1998-<br />
2002, 40 % were successfully reared. (This is a 60% cub mortality rate.) This shows a<br />
significant increase in the success of cub-rearing compared to the success rate found from 1968<br />
to 1997. This seems to be because more cubs were born with the provision of privacy than<br />
during the last study. It is also important to note that the cubs born live at Dortmund (17 cubs)<br />
accounted for 42.5% of all the cubs born between 1998-2002 <strong>and</strong> this is a significant proportion<br />
of the total births. If these cubs were not included within the statistics, it would show that all of<br />
the cubs born between 1998-2002 <strong>and</strong> that were offered privacy lived to one year or older (i.e.<br />
100% were successfully reared).<br />
In a 34 year period, between 1968 <strong>and</strong> 2002, nine institutions worldwide reported giant otter<br />
births. A total of 82 litters were born <strong>and</strong> a total 217 cubs were born live <strong>and</strong> registered. Of<br />
these 217 cubs, only 45 (or 20.7%) are known to have survived to one year old or older. (This<br />
is a 79.3% mortality rate.) It is important to note that a greater number of cubs could have been<br />
born. This suspicion is based on the theory that not all litters have been detected. No zoo has<br />
ever reared their giant otter cubs successfully unless privacy was offered during cubrearing.<br />
Even parents that had already reared one or more litters successfully with<br />
seclusion, did not rear their following litters successfully unless they were offered this<br />
method. (I.e. without this method they ate or neglected their cubs <strong>and</strong> litter loss resulted<br />
because of disturbances to the parents.) Parque del Este Zoo at Caracas was the first zoo in the<br />
world to report a giant otter birth <strong>and</strong> this occurred in 1968. Until 2000, there were no known<br />
captive-born cubs that have been successfully reared by parents which both had been captive<br />
born. Since 2000, at Brasilia Zoo, eight cubs were born from such a pair.<br />
When indoor <strong>and</strong>/or outdoor enclosure l<strong>and</strong> to water ratios offered smaller l<strong>and</strong> proportions than<br />
recommended or/<strong>and</strong> l<strong>and</strong>/floor surfaces were not nearly entirely covered with soft loose natural<br />
substrates (including appropriate types, qualities, <strong>and</strong> depths) or provided with sufficient size<br />
deep digging areas as recommended, the following has occurred. Physical <strong>and</strong><br />
mental/behavioral health problems <strong>and</strong>/or abnormalities have occurred not only during typical<br />
daily circumstances, but also during cub-rearing. (See Chapter 2 Sections 3B & 10 <strong>and</strong> Section<br />
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