International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management

otters were exposed to in their enclosures, the degree to which the otters had to regularly climb,
and if the diets offered could have caused possible deficiencies of the vitamins B1 or E. (Also,
whether the animal was overweight or if it stood on its hind legs for long periods should be
noted.) This analysis should be used to determine which of those particular factors just listed
might be responsible for causing the problem. It also should be seen if similarities regarding
these factors can be found among these three cases. Finding a link between these cases may
help to find a cause for this problem or it may help to strengthen what seems likely to be a cause
in a particular case. There are many aspects of the topics that concern what may have caused
this problem that should be considered, although there is only space for some of them to be
pointed out here. It is also possible that other reasons to explain this problem could exist, but
they have not yet been identified.
It is important to note that only one of the two otters held together in each facility were affected
though they were exposed to the same enclosure conditions, diet etc.. The otters with this
problem were also of varying ages and both sexes. Also this acute health problem occurred only
once in each otter. None of the affected otters were reported to be overweight or to stand on
their hind legs for long periods.
It is also very important to point out that all of the affected otters were kept in the same
enclosure conditions before and after their health problem occurred. (Note: although a
modification was made to create less climbing surfaces at Philadelphia, this modification was
not used by the otters and the affected otter climbed nearly the same amount both before and
after its health problem occurred.) The otter at Chestnut was given the same diet and the otter at
Dortmund was given a similar diet before and after their health problems occurred. Only the
Philadelphia otter’s diet was modified after the otter was affected, although it is not known if
this change (see above and below) prevented the problem from reoccurring and it is not known
if the former diet was responsible for the problem. Caution should be taken although as all of
the assumptions about the diets are only made on a gross analysis of the diets offered. Detailed
nutritional analysis has not been conducted on all three of the affected otters’ diets. (Note: the
author/compiler of this manual who has written this report has no expertise in the area of
nutrition, therefore analysis should be done on all three of the giant otters’ diets to draw further
conclusions on the similarity of diets and how the diets might be involved in causing such a
problem.) In general, the points aforementioned could easily indicate that there is a strong
possibility that none of these factors could have been responsible for causing this problem.
Other factors should therefore be identified as possible suspects. Although and putting this
possibility aside, as other unidentified reasons may be responsible for preventing the
reoccurrence of this problem, the following should also be considered.
It seems that the enclosure conditions at Chestnut would not be a factor that could be held
responsible for causing this acute problem. It is not known if the diet could have been
responsible in this case. It seems that the acute problem that occurred at Philadelphia could
likely have been caused by the significant exposure that the affected animal had to hard surfaces
or the significant amount that the otter had to climb, or to both problems. It also could have
been due to the diet, as the diet was modified after the animal’s problem occurred, although it is
not known if that diet change (i.e. changed to feeding principally fresh water rainbow trout)
could have been responsible for the problem not reoccurring. This assumption is based on the
fact that Chestnut also fed the same principal diet (i.e. fresh water rainbow trout) both before
and after their otter was affected. Although it must be taken into consideration that Chestnut fed
live fish as compared to Philadelphia which only fed thawed frozen fish (and vitamins). If the
Philadelphia otter’s diet did cause the problem, it is not known if this diet could have been
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