International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management

Chapter 5 for how to measure, Chapter 4 for when otters grow to full size/ general growth rates,
and Chapter 3 for husbandry training. An incomplete age - weight growth curve is available
(see Graph 2), but no body length growth curve is known to exist. See Table 6 for cub weights.)
This will help field biologists to determine cub age in the wild (Groenendijk & Hajek, pers.
comm.). This data is also necessary for comparison during handrearing of all cubs and for
monitoring/assessing the development of parent reared cubs in captivity and in the wild. It
would also be interesting to assess if there are significant differences between these factors for
handreared captive-born and orphaned wild-born individuals. Information, such as this, can not
be acquired through parent reared cubs in captivity or in the wild, so it is vital that records such
as these are kept and shared. There are no known reports of rectal body temperature of healthy
handreared cubs. This and other physiological information should be gathered from handreared
cubs for comparison to adults, other cubs, and to increase in general knowledge. See Section 4
above.
Diseases, illnesses, parasites, injuries etc. that each individual orphaned wild cub contracted in
the wild (or/and during handrearing) and each captive-born individual contracted in captivity
should be recorded and studied. This is important to assess the health problems that wild giant
otters and captive giant otters are exposed to. The general health, as well as degree of physical
and behavioral development, of each wild-born orphaned and captive-born individual, upon its
arrival to the handrearer, should be documented. This is important to use for comparison to
other cubs and to help determine cub age. Appropriate vaccinations for giant otter cubs, the
availability of vaccinations within specific countries, and disease prevention methods need
immediate attention and study. See Section 4 above.
Unfamiliar or even temporarily separated otters of all ages should be properly introduced to
avoid otter death or injury. It is important that handrearers/institutions involved are aware of
these potential problems. See below and Chapter 2 for more information. More study should be
carried out to determine at what ages handreared otters (i.e. cubs, juveniles, or sub-adults) are
old enough to be successfully and slowly introduced to unfamiliar captive adult, sub-adult,
juvenile otters, or cubs. The age that it is most optimal to first expose cubs to small tubs of
water/large swimming pools, to begin swimming lessons, to safely leave cubs alone around
water tubs or large swimming pools should be studied. How it is best to teach cubs to swim
should also be determined.
An international study on the census, future, and success of both handreared captive-born and
orphaned wild otters needs to be expanded. For example, how successfully these individuals
pair with a mate, breed, and rear offspring (whether they are housed permanently in captivity or
released in the wild) should be scientifically studied over a long-term period. Many questions
exist regarding matters such as how human contact, contact or lack of contact with other otters
during handrearing, housing conditions, “hacking out” methods etc. affect success.
For example, giant otters are highly social and live in family groups in the wild. Mated pairs
bond for life and all family members (including sub-adult offspring) care for the young. Each
litter usually consists of more than one cub and cubs are dependent upon the other family
members for care, socialization, learning life skills etc.. It is therefore ideal if more than one
giant otter cub (i.e. siblings or healthy cubs near their same age) can be handreared/housed
together. This will help provide for their stimulation, enrichment, and mental, social,
behavioral, and physical development and health needs [i.e. socialization,
companionship/contact, play interactions etc.] (Read and Meier 1996).
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