International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management

successfully can often be difficult and often it is not accomplished in one feeding or even
several feedings (e.g. it could take a few or more days for a cub to become a consistently good
nurser). Sometimes cubs may nurse well for one feeding, but not be able to nurse successfully
for several feedings to follow.
For easier adjustment and to determine what the cub is reacting to, one variable should be
changed at a time. Once successful feeding techniques and formulas are found, handrearers
should be consistent with them, as changes could cause problems. Sometimes, even after
appropriate options and adjustments have been tried and cubs are healthy; cubs may still refuse
food. Handrearers must therefore, with great patience, firmly but gently and persistently
encourage feeding. A firm attitude must be conveyed to the cub that the handrearer will not
give up until it eats. In some cases, animals given the appropriate formulas etc., may eat
significantly less each successive feeding if a handrearer lets them. This trend may continue if
the caretaker stops trying to feed the appropriate amount, because cubs refuse it. On the other
hand, if otters eat the full amount in one feeding--they will be more likely to eat well on the next
feeding.
Slow, gentle, and deliberate movements should always be made around cubs (especially those
newly arrived). Otters should be positively reinforced when they start and after they are
finished eating, as sometimes food alone is not reward enough. Gentle touches, petting, words,
vocalizations, and voice tones that are encouraging, rewarding, and praising should be used.
This can also encourage hesitant cubs to feed. Of course, because cubs do not understand
words, it is more the handrearers voice sound/tone that is important. If the handrearer is
familiar with positive giant otter vocalizations, they can be replicated. For example, gentle soft
humming can be imitated for encouragement or reward. Caution, a low sounding hum can mean
an angry vocalization, as slight sound variations can mean something totally different. Giant
otter cubs, during nursing (from the first day of birth) make a “nursing hum” and display “tail
wagging” when suckling (both from the mother and the handrearer’s bottle). This hum is a
somewhat higher pitched and faster vocalization than the contact hum (described in Duplaix
1980). It is also unlike the contact hum in that it has a twittering quality to it and it is only
performed when the cub is actually suckling. When this hum is replicated by the handrearer, it
can also encourage cubs to feed. The cubs also displayed “tail wagging” when they nursed
(from the first day of birth) from the mother and nursed from the handrearer’s bottle. The cubs
wagged their tails, rather quickly and repeatedly, from side to side (i.e. horizontally, but not
vertically/up and down), when they suckled. The tip of the tail can also be kept raised upwards
while wagging. Note: sometimes when the cub might be anxious to nurse or immediately
preparing for nursing it might wag its tail. This is another good indicator to determine when the
cub is hungry. This behavior is different from “tail waving” that is described by Duplaix
(1980), in that it is performed during nursing only (except during the situations mentioned
above) from the first day of birth and the tail only moves horizontally in direction. (The
“nursing hums” and “tail wagging” behaviors are not known to have been described before in
literature and the descriptions and terms in quotes are originally made by Sykes-Gatz (pers. obs.,
unpublished reports 1999-2002). See a full description of these behaviors in Chapter 3.)
Usually cubs will adjust to scheduled feeding times and expect food around those times.
Although, before schedules are adjusted to, and sometimes even after adjustment, gentle
encouragement may be needed to stimulate feeding. For example, if the cub is sleeping, arouse
it gently with soft vocalizations and gentle touches / petting. Just picking the cub up from a
deep sleep and pushing a bottle in its face will not do much to promote nursing and it is
inconsiderate.
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