International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management

when no other better formula is available. Soy milk is not recommended for use with otters as it
may lead to health problems.
Though not recommended, commercially prepared milk replacers for human babies or cow’s
milk have been/are used with success. A commercially prepared (powdered) human baby milk
replacer was successfully used to rear two captive born 2 month old giant otter cubs at
Hagenbecks Tierpark (Flügger pers comm. 2000). An approximately 2 month old orphaned
wild giant otter cub was successfully reared on a human baby milk replacer formula (cod liver
oil and a small amount of multivitamins were also added to the formula) in Columbia (Gomez,
Jorgenson, & Valbuena 1999). (It is assumed that in both of these cases the formulas were
mixed as instructed on the package.) CPPMA (Aquatic Mammal Research Center, Brazil)
(Lazzarini 1998 pers. comm.) successfully rears/reared multiple (“many”) orphaned wild giant
otter cubs aged approximately 1.5 months old and older when received. The formula used
consists of powdered integral milk (2 Tablespoons.), rice cream powder (called “Creme de
Arroz Colombo” in Brazil) to thicken the formula (1 teaspoon), and 400 ml of water. After
these ingredients are mixed, multivitamins (complex B) are added. The “powdered integral
milk” referred to is powdered cow’s milk used for human (adult) consumption. The formula is
fed with a baby bottle used for newborn human babies. During weaning (usually begun at 3 or 4
months old), small amounts of very small minced fish (with bones and skin/scales removed) are
offered with the formula milk just mentioned. As the cubs grow older, small smooth fish with
no scales are given. When the cubs are able to eat fish with scales, the milk formula diet is no
longer offered. Multiple wild born orphaned giant otters, aged approx. 1-2 months old and 2-3
months old, were successfully reared with whole powdered [cow’s] milk (Rosas pers. comm.
2003). Additionally for the first feeding of the day, 1 ml of “Poliplex” (liquid vitamin complex)
was added to the milk. Emperor Valley Zoo (Trinidad) (Zoo staff pers. comm., 1997) used
warmed goat’s milk to successfully rear a 4 month old (upon its arrival) giant otter cub. At
Karanambu Ranch (Guyana), Diane McTurk, uses cow’s milk and human baby milk formula to
successfully rear multiple (many) orphaned wild giant otter cubs.
The following information has been contributed by Diane McTurk (Giant otter rehabilitator at
Karanambu Ranch; pers. comm. 2003). “The initial problem is that the age of the cubs cannot
be determined accurately because they are not born on site: they are brought to me as orphans,
their eyes barely open, or as pets with which their owners can no longer cope (one over 6
months old). Cow’s milk, diluted cow’s milk, various human milk powders to an acceptable
dilution with water or rehydration fluid (judged by scat consistency) is fed. In two cases of
unknown illness, causing constant debilitating diarrhea, raw egg whipped together with
rehydration fluid proved successful. Only 2 otters were raised on a milk replacer designed for
otters – Zoologic [Milk Matrix 30:55 TM ], a relatively recent gift from the Philadelphia
zoological society – which was fed according to the instructions. In every case young cubs were
fed with milk/replacer until they rejected it in favor of an exclusively fish diet – sometimes 2 to
3 weeks after accepting fish for the first time. Every day they were offered a strip of fish
(usually piranha or peacock bass) in which they showed no interest until, suddenly, it was
snatched voraciously.” When the weaning process was started with cubs that were around
approx. 2 ½ months old and older, those cubs were successfully reared (Duplaix/McTurk, pers.
comm. 2004).
Additionally, concerning an effective milk replacer for giant otter cubs less than approx. one
month old, either no information is reported or formula fairly tried and found successful.
Following are the only cases known or reported where attempts were made to handrear giant
otter cubs less than 2 weeks old and the only cases, other than the two reported by Diane
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