International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management

Part B. Land to Water Area Ratios Necessary for Every Enclosure That Contains Water
& How to Inexpensively Modify Land to Water Ratios to Offer Enough Land
The provision of the recommended land to water area ratio is one of the most crucial
requirements necessary for the husbandry of giant otters. The land to water ratio must
provide at least the minimum size (proportion) land area required within every indoor and
outdoor enclosure and separable enclosure area. Each enclosure and separable enclosure
area below 240 m² (2,583.4 ft²) in size, requires a different land to water area ratio based
on its specific size. Enclosures between 240 m² to 600 m² (6,458 ft²) require other land to
water ratios, as do enclosures above 600 m². (See below.) All areas intended for water,
regardless of their size and how many there are within an enclosure or separable enclosure area,
must be included when ratios are determined. The ratio for each separable enclosure area
that contains water (i.e. an indoor or outdoor enclosure, whether otters have continual
access to both or not, or temporary living area) should be determined based only on the
total size of that separable area. Section 3 below describes the physical and behavioral health
problems that develop and Section 5 describes how land, nestboxes etc. remain too damp/wet
when enclosures have smaller land area proportions than recommended. Note: within this manual
the terms “enclosure” and “exhibit” are used interchangeably. They refer to any/all areas, both
indoors and outdoors, in which a captive otter is held or has access to, regardless of whether or not
public/visitors can view these areas or the areas are intended for temporary or permanent use. “Land”
refers to any base surface, whether man-made or natural ground, within the giant otters’ indoor and
outdoor enclosures. The term “floor” may be used in addition to the term “land” for greater
clarification.
It is necessary to modify all enclosures, whether they are in use or not, when they do not
fulfill the recommended land to water ratios, so that at least the minimum recommended
land proportions (land area sizes) are offered. (I.e. this applies to any enclosure, whether it is
already constructed and giant otters are being kept in it or the enclosure is being designed or
modified to hold P. brasiliensis in the future. When the land to water ratios are inappropriate, in
most cases the land area will not be large enough.) Various simple methods can be used to
effectively and inexpensively accomplish this in both indoor and outdoor enclosures. E.g.
when more than one pool is available within an enclosure and the land area is not large enough,
at least one or more artificial (e.g. made of concrete) or natural pools can be emptied and filled
in with soft sand or mulch to increase the land area. When the pool is natural, soft loose soil
could also be used to create new land area. (See Chapter 2 Section 2 for the substrate types,
qualities, and depths required. E.g. soil, sand, and mulch must not contain pebbles, small rocks,
or gravel; soil must remain well draining, easily drying, soft and loose etc..) In enclosures with
only one main pool, part of the pool can be made into land area by constructing a
waterproof artificial wall to divide and seal off a portion of the pool. The new dry area can
then be turned into land as aforementioned. Note: pre-existing pool drains can be modified, e.g.
covered with mesh fence, or small holes can be drilled through pool bottoms, to assist drainage
during heavy or extended rain periods.
When an indoor or outdoor enclosure or any separable enclosure area is smaller than 240
m 2 (2,583.4 ft²) it is necessary to provide the land to water ratios that the following formula
determines. (Reminder: such locations include temporary holding and quarantine areas, indoor
enclosures, whether connected to outdoor enclosures or not, and any enclosure or separable
enclosure area below 240 m 2 in size. These recommendations apply to all circumstances, e.g.
whether or not the otters have continual access to another separable enclosure area and
regardless of the enclosure’s size.) The land area percentage (in the ratio) must be
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