International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management

and scratch on/into the surface of soft loose substrates to help mark their territory and simply
dig. [In the wild they use these behaviors to help form/clear “campsites” to help mark their
territory.] Captive giant otters also dig deeply into substrates whether they can create
underground dens or not (they can easily dig 100 cm (3.28 ft) deep). They in addition, when
given the recommended enclosure conditions, use the entire land area to frequently play and
exercise on. Digging and grooming carried out to their full extent (as described above) are
among the most important activities that giant otters need to perform to maintain their mental
and behavioral health and normality and promote successful cub-rearing and adjustment to
new/unusual situations. Because playing and exercising on land also constitute a significant
portion of their goal oriented activities, Pteronura must be able to carry these out to the fullest
extent for the same reasons aforementioned. These are among the most important activities that
giant otters need to perform to prevent, counteract, or significantly reduce the negative
responses, i.e. stress, boredom, nervousness, fear, frustration etc., that can occur during
new/unusual situations, cub-rearing, and typical daily circumstances. (New/unusual situations
include when otters are moved to new locations, housed in quarantine or temporary holding
areas, introduced to unfamiliar animals, anesthetized, etc..) Giant otters will spend more of their
daytime hours (including daytime resting hours) on land than in the water. These
aforementioned land activities constitute a significant proportion of a behaviorally healthy giant
otter's daily goal oriented activities.
When giant otters have been exposed to new/unusual situations, the full extent of digging and
grooming (i.e. as described) activities were performed with an extraordinarily increased amount
of frequency, duration, and intensity compared to otters during normal circumstances. (Some
otters that had access to live growing and/or "man-made bamboo stands" also manipulated and
played with the bamboo to the same extraordinary degree.) They used the entire expanse of their
indoor and/or outdoor land areas to carry out these behaviors. Of their daily typical behaviors
and in appropriate enclosure conditions, these were the only activities that were carried out in
such an exaggerated way during new/unusual situations. (I.e. many other appropriate options,
such as swimming etc., were available to be focused on in this way.) Because the otters could
carry out these behaviors to the full extent, that allowed them to focus/divert their attentions and
actions away from the stressful, frustrating, frightening, or uninteresting situations that normally
can be caused because of new/unusual circumstances. This therefore significantly
reduced/counteracted the negative responses that could have developed or that could have
abnormally elevated, if the otters had focused on the stressful etc. situations. (Note: of course,
during such times, some negative responses can normally be expected to occur to a certain
degree in most all enclosure conditions.) These animals were able to successfully adjust to their
new/unusual circumstances and they did so in a normal and healthy manner (i.e. without
abnormally elevated or excessive levels of negative responses that adversely affect/significantly
impair successful adjustment to new situations). During cub-rearing, giant otters have also
carried out digging in the same way as described during new/unusual situations (i.e. with
extraordinarily increased frequency, duration, etc.) and this also provides the same benefits as
just aforementioned. In captivity, negative responses (e.g. stress, frustration etc.) can develop
even during typical situations. Because digging and grooming behaviors are normally carried
out to a significant degree on a daily basis in typical situations, this indicates that these behaviors
help otters prevent, counteract or significantly reduce the chance that negative responses develop
in these circumstances.
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
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