International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management

3. The provision of at least the minimum recommended deep digging area size and depth. The
same substrate qualities and types and husbandry techniques needed for enclosure land and
floors (see Number 2 above) are also necessary for the deep digging areas. See Section 2.
4. The provision of the recommended designs and locations for land and water areas, dens,
nestboxes, and areas for natural underground dens needed to keep the land, dens, nestboxes
and natural underground dens dry. See Section 5. (The land and water area designs in
Section 5 are those that are needed in addition to the recommended land to water ratios to
keep the land area dry. All enclosure conditions, e.g. hard surfaces, not enough land area
etc., that cause land areas to remain very damp/wet are discussed within this section.)
5. The provision of the recommended locations, designs, and modifications for enclosures,
nestboxes, dens, areas for natural underground dens, keeper access doors, and animal shift
doors needed to isolate enclosures from human disturbances during cub-rearing. See
Section 10B. (The husbandry practices needed to provide privacy during cub-rearing are
also discussed in the same section.)
6. The provision of the recommended enclosure locations and designs needed to carry out
visual-acoustic-olfactory introductions of otters that are unfamiliar with each other and those
that have been temporarily separated (i.e. animals that were previously housed together).
See Section 18. This section also describes the husbandry practices necessary to provide
safe introductions.
7. The provision of the recommended shallow and deep water areas (note the exceptions in
Sections 9 and 7) and the recommended water area designs that allow otters (esp. cubs,
parents carrying cubs, and old animals) safe exits from the water. See Section 7.
8. The provision of at least the recommended minimum number of nestboxes and basic nestbox
designs or the existence of multiple natural otter dug underground dens and the provision of
the recommended hill designs and substrates needed to provide an area for such dens to be
dug. The provision of at least the recommended minimum number of (off-exhibit) dens in
indoor enclosures. See Sections 2, 12, 13, and 14.
9. In temperate climates, it is necessary that an outdoor enclosure (with or without heated
outdoor water) provides access to a heated indoor enclosure. Indoor enclosures that attach
to outdoor enclosures require all of the conditions above in Numbers 1-8 (as do all
enclosures whether they are attached to outdoor or indoor enclosures or not). These indoor
enclosures types must also be large enough that they provide ample quality land area for
otters to carry-out the “full range and extent of terrestrial activities” that can not be
performed outside because temperatures are too low. These activities include digging,
grooming, playing, and exercising on land and raising young. The meaning of the “full
range and extent of terrestrial activities” is very specific and it is often misinterpreted
because of general misconceptions about how giant otters should behave; see Section 3B for
a description. Note: in addition to the aforementioned land area, they require the dens and
nestboxes as stated in Number 8 above. See Number 1 for a discussion on indoor water
areas. See Sections 9 and 13 and Part C below.
10. Safety precautions must be considered during enclosure design, as otters can be dangerous
and injurious to humans. See Section 8.
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