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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additions that can be made to enclosures, are easy <strong>and</strong> inexpensive to provide <strong>and</strong> maintain.<br />
E.g. the recommended mulch <strong>and</strong> soft s<strong>and</strong> types, qualities, <strong>and</strong> depths are ideal for both indoor<br />
<strong>and</strong> outdoor use to cover over inappropriate surfaces such as hard, artificial, tightly<br />
packed/compacted (e.g. soil with/without vegetation), poor draining, <strong>and</strong> slow drying surfaces.<br />
The required substrates are inexpensive, very effective, easy to care for, remain sanitary, <strong>and</strong> at<br />
each institution at least one or more of these substrates are easy to acquire. They also can be<br />
easily provided whether the giant otter enclosure is already in use or not <strong>and</strong> regardless of any<br />
existing surfaces within the enclosure. As well, when l<strong>and</strong> to water ratios provide smaller l<strong>and</strong><br />
proportions than recommended, pools (obviously if there is more than one pool) can be emptied<br />
or portions of pools can be divided (with waterproof barriers) <strong>and</strong> filled in with appropriate<br />
substrates to provide enough l<strong>and</strong> area. This will avoid or significantly reduce the chance that<br />
otters will become unhealthy or significantly or fully improve otter health <strong>and</strong> normality after<br />
problems have developed. The ability to successfully rear cubs or adjust to new/unusual<br />
situations can also be significantly improved. See Chapter 2 Sections 2-3 for more information<br />
on these very important issues.<br />
Improper Introductions of Unfamiliar <strong>and</strong> Temporarily Separated <strong>Otter</strong>s;<br />
Enclosure Designs That Do Not Offer Parents Rearing Cubs Privacy from Human<br />
Disturbances<br />
Isolating parents from human disturbances (both visual <strong>and</strong> acoustic) <strong>and</strong> presence during cubrearing<br />
is also in need of immediate international attention. Fortunately, it has become more<br />
widely accepted that giant otter parents need privacy to successfully rear offspring <strong>and</strong> methods<br />
to monitor parental care <strong>and</strong> cub health <strong>and</strong> development that do not disturb the otters. It is not<br />
uncommon although that enclosures have been designed without these considerations in mind.<br />
It is possible in many cases to modify enclosures after they have been built or at least modify<br />
husb<strong>and</strong>ry methods so that the necessary conditions can be offered. Although in some cases it<br />
may be difficult or impossible to provide privacy (unless enclosures are expansive in size)<br />
because of where the otter enclosure is located within the zoo/institution <strong>and</strong>/or because of<br />
particular enclosure designs. E.g. other animal enclosures might be adjacent to/adjoining the<br />
otters' enclosure <strong>and</strong> servicing these other enclosures might disturb the otters. <strong>Otter</strong> enclosures<br />
may be located in central areas within the zoo/main zoo pathways <strong>and</strong> therefore visitor/staff<br />
traffic around the otter enclosure might not be able to be prevented. Dens containing nestboxes<br />
might be located next to the only keeper entrance that allows staff access to feed the animals or<br />
service the enclosure. It might be very difficult/impossible to feed the animals or service the<br />
enclosure without disturbing parents rearing their cubs. <strong>Giant</strong> otter enclosures must be designed<br />
with these considerations in mind to avoid these problems. (Information about this topic is<br />
discussed in Section 2 above <strong>and</strong> in Chapter 2 Section 10.)<br />
Introducing otters that are unfamiliar with each other <strong>and</strong> re-introducing those that have been<br />
temporarily separated (i.e. animals that were previously housed together) in a gradual, cautious<br />
<strong>and</strong> closely monitored manner, with visual-acoustic-olfactory introductions before physical fullcontact<br />
introductions, is also in need of immediate international attention. (Note: when the term<br />
"visual introduction" is used within this manual it actually implies a "visual-acoustic-olfactory<br />
introduction".) Unfortunately, reports of significant injury <strong>and</strong> death during improperly<br />
conducted giant otter introductions have not been uncommon. I.e. it is not uncommon that<br />
visual introductions have not been conducted before animals were given full physical contact.<br />
Sometimes animals have not been observed <strong>and</strong> monitored closely enough during visual<br />
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