International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management

*[Training started at Dortmund Zoo in 1996 and it is continuing. It has been/is being carried out by
Gatz and/or Sykes-Gatz. These persons also performed the training aforementioned at Brasilia Zoo in
1998. Sykes [now Sykes-Gatz] carried out the training described at Philadelphia Zoo from 1996-1999.]
Husbandry training (via operant conditioning) is a stimulating and positively challenging form
of behavior enrichment and it is highly recommended for many reasons other than just
providing enrichment.
Husbandry training allows for better management of the otter during necessary husbandry
procedures. In this way, these procedures can be done more safely and easily, and very
importantly as well, with little or no stress, to both the otters and zoo staff. Crate training is a
very good example, as it is the best method to help animals become accustomed to the transport
box and be easily readied for transport in a non/less stressful situation. The very stressful and
potentially dangerous procedure (for both otters and zoo staff) of netting, herding an animal into
a crate, or anesthetizing it for transport can be avoided by crate training. (E.g. one giant otter
died during recovery from anesthesia after it was anesthetized to crate it for transport to another
institution.) The stress to the otter of being held inside the crate can also be significantly
reduced. When crate training was carried out, giant otters have used/entered the transport crate
either the same day or within the immediate days after the actual move/transport occurred
(Sykes-Gatz and Gatz pers. obs.). Health and body condition have also been monitored and
some forms of minor medical treatment have been accomplished with husbandry training. E.g.
a medicinal spray was applied to a female’s irritated teats (cause unknown) when the otter was
stationed to stand upright on her hind legs in a wooden frame (attached to a containment barrier
fence) so her teats were exposed to the trainer. (The term “station” means that the animal is
trained to remain stationary at one place within its enclosure.) A suspicious lump on a giant
otter’s lower back/hind end could be closely monitored and palpated. Foot condition could be
closely monitored and examined by the trainer spreading out/extending (i.e. with her/his hands)
the otter’s paws to their entire width for a full view.
In addition, procedures that normally would not be able to be carried out on a regular basis or
even at all (without significant stress or danger), are achievable during husbandry training. For
example, otters would have to be anesthetized to carry out some procedures, such as
ultrasounds. Anesthetizing can be very dangerous to the otter and it is only recommended to be
carried out when it is absolutely necessary (e.g. for serious/life threatening health problems,
when necessary medical treatment can be administered in no other way). (See Section 4 Part A
above for problems that have occurred while giant otters were under anesthesia.) Conducting
ultrasounds, via husbandry training, has been used to confirm pregnancy, view fetuses, evaluate
health and uterine condition during pregnancy and after litter loss, and to confirm false
pregnancies (which are not uncommon) with no/little stress or danger to the otters and zoo staff.
See why it is so important to detect pregnancies in Part B above. Giant otters have been scale
trained to monitor weights. Weight gain may also indicate pregnancy and weight gain or loss
may indicate the existence of health problems.
Training is of course also a very helpful tool to improve the keeper - animal relationship, which
is important during giant otter cub-rearing, as well as many husbandry procedures (Gatz 1997).
During cub rearing, giant otters are very sensitive to any kind of human disturbance and
presence. Privacy from human disturbances and presence during cub-rearing has been found to
be the most important husbandry practice responsible for successful parent-rearing of giant otter
litters in zoos world-wide and historically (Sykes 1998/2002 & Sykes-Gatz 2001). In a zoo
environment, some minimal disturbances are unavoidable during cub-rearing, and it is essential
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