International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management

Section 3
Health and Other Problems Caused by Inappropriate Enclosure Conditions
(Note: the terms “enclosure” and “exhibit” are used interchangeably. They refer to any/all areas, both indoors
and outdoors, in which a captive otter is held or has access to, regardless of whether or not public/visitors can view
these areas or the areas are intended for temporary or permanent use. They include such areas as dens, off-exhibit
holding and quarantine areas, and areas on-exhibit (i.e. for public viewing), etc.. 2 “Land” refers to any base
surface, whether man-made (e.g. concrete, tile, artificial rockwork, wood, floor etc.) or natural ground (e.g. soil,
mulch, sand, rock etc.), within the giant otters’ indoor and outdoor enclosures. These areas do not include the
portion of the enclosure that is intended for water (i.e. a swimming/wading area). The term “floor” may be used in
addition to the term “land” for greater clarification.).
Providing, within every indoor and outdoor giant otter enclosure, the recommended substrate
types, qualities, and depths to cover nearly the entire enclosure 1 land 2 and floor areas and the
recommended land to water ratios (i.e. enough land area) as well as deep digging area sizes, need
immediate international attention. These provisions are just as important as the need for a
swimming area and they are among the most crucial requirements necessary for the husbandry of
giant otters. Unfortunately, too often in the past and present, these necessities have not been
offered and this has resulted in health problems and/or abnormalities. Some of these problems
have not been uncommon among captive giant otters and some have been very serious or had the
potential to become very serious. Also originally, some were mistaken to be an exhibition of
healthy physical condition or normal healthy behavior. The otters' ability to successfully rear
cubs and adjust to new/unusual situations has also been adversely affected or seriously
compromised when these provisions have not been offered. Other inappropriate land and water
area locations and designs and unsuitable locations for nestboxes and dens have also caused or
worsened health problems already resulting from the other aforementioned unsuitable
conditions. As well, often zoo visitors could not benefit, in an educational or enjoyable way,
when otters were not carrying out their behaviors in a normal healthy manner.
Significant misconceptions have existed about otter behavior and how their enclosures should be
furnished and designed. Contemporary giant otter health problems and inappropriate enclosure
designs and furnishings as aforementioned seem to reflect that these misconceptions are still not
uncommon. When cubs are reared to independence, unfamiliar and temporarily separated
animals are introduced and then housed together, or otters are maintained to an old age in
inappropriate enclosure conditions or/and with inappropriate husbandry practices, this does not
validate that the enclosure conditions and/or husbandry practices used were appropriate. (I.e.
this does not mean that these circumstances are appropriate because such outcomes have
occurred.) It is essential that inappropriate enclosure conditions and husbandry practices are not
repeated or used at any other institution based on the conclusions that such outcomes have
occurred. Otters cannot use, without inefficiency, difficulty, lack of comfort, and/or harm to
their physical and/or behavioral health or normality, inappropriate substrate types, depths, or
qualities, or insufficient land or digging areas to dig, groom, exercise, play, or to simply live on.
For some of these activities, they will or cannot use them at all. As well, otters will not be able
to carry out grooming, digging, exercising, or playing on land to the full extent that is necessary,
not only to maintain their behavioral health and normality, but also to promote successful cubrearing
and adjustment to new/unusual situations.
The aforementioned problems are caused when indoor and/or outdoor enclosure land to water
ratios offer smaller land proportions than recommended or/and land/floor surfaces are not nearly
entirely covered with soft loose natural substrates (including appropriate depths, types, and
qualities) or provided with sufficient size deep digging areas as recommended. (Each enclosure
26