International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management

eggs) would cause vomiting as no studies have been done to correlate these occurrences. See
above under “Dietary Related Problems” for the problems caused by feeding fish with eggs.]
Dortmund Zoo staff have reported that their giant otters vomit occasionally; i.e. their reports are
similar to the experiences (i.e. number of occurrences for the same number of animals etc.)
reported at Philadelphia Zoo (Gatz, pers. comm. 2004). (Dortmund housed several giant otters.
See the diet they offer under “Walking Difficulties Involving the Lower Back and Hind Legs”
and Chapter 2 Section 19.) Hagenbeck Tierpark reported that their giant otters vomited
sometimes when fish bones got caught in their throats/mouths (Wünnemann, pers. comm.
3/1997). (See Hagenbeck Tierparks giant otter diet in Chapter 2 Section 19.) Wünnemann also
commented (pers. comm., 3/1997), that the occasional vomiting (two times in a month’s period)
reported at Philadelphia Zoo does not seem to be a problem. Giant otters in the wild have been
observed vomiting and these observations are not uncommon (Groenendijk, pers. comm. 2003).
Some captive North American river otters (Lontra canadensis) have also been noted to vomit on
occasion and no other health problems were evident and the cause of such occurrences was not
identified (Sykes, unpublished report 1997).
Walking Difficulties Involving the Lower Back and Hind Legs: There are two different types
of walking difficulties that involve the lower back and hind legs that have been found in giant
otters and both types are serious health problems. One type involves acute severe walking
difficulties that occur suddenly and only for a brief period of time (i.e. problems occur over a
period of hours, days or up to a week or so); see the paragraphs below for more information.
The other involves walking difficulties that occur on an on-going basis (i.e. problems occur
continually over the years and they are progressive). The type that occurs on an ongoing basis
is a very important issue and inappropriate enclosure conditions (i.e. continual exposure to hard
surfaces) can predispose giant otters to/cause such problems. Moderate and severe degrees of
on-going walking difficulties have resulted. The physical disorders which have been expressed
by the walking difficulties have also affected the ability to mate successfully. This subject is
discussed in Chapter 2 Section 3A.
There is little known about the type of acute severe walking difficulties that occur suddenly and
only for a brief period of time. This has been reported to occur in three different adult giant
otters (i.e. two males and a female) which were held in three different institutions. It is not
known yet what was actually responsible for causing these problems. Following are
descriptions of those occasions and what factors might be responsible for causing this particular
health problem. Note: At one additional institution, Cali Zoo in Colombia (Corredor, pers.
comm.), a giant otter was reported to display limping and difficulties while it walked. Further
information about this occurrence is being gathered and at this time it is not known if this
occurrence is similar to the others reported below. Update: In late 2004 a 12 year old female
giant otter was reported to develop the same acute severe walking difficulties that occurred
suddenly and it resolved almost completely in several weeks. This female still displayed some
minor residual difficulties that had not fully had time to resolve yet at the time this report was
completed. A more detailed report on this occurrence is not reported below. For more
information please contact the compiler/author of this manual.
At Philadelphia Zoo (in the U.S.), two male giant otters, one approx. four and the other five
years old, were held together in the same enclosure. (They had lived in this enclosure for
approx. one year before the following health problems occurred and they were siblings.) On
Feb. 1, 1997, the male named Banjo (the five year old) was found in the morning, when the
keeper first arrived, dragging the hind end of his body, hind legs, and tail on the floor (Sykes,
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