International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management
International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management
International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management
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[4”] in width, could be placed 10 to 15 cm (4” to 6”) behind the edge of the pool side for the<br />
same purpose. It should have a softly rounded edge for safety. This technique has not yet been<br />
reported to be used for giant otters. All borders/edges used must still allow otters, esp. cubs,<br />
parents carrying cubs, <strong>and</strong> old animals, easy <strong>and</strong> safe pool exits <strong>and</strong> entrances. I.e. these<br />
surfaces should not be raised too high above the l<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> floor surface, be placed directly<br />
against pool edges, or be slippery etc.. Drain outlets, filters, <strong>and</strong> skimmers can also be<br />
covered or designed to help prevent furnishings from blocking them. E.g. drains can be<br />
covered with simple fence covers or fitted with pipe extensions or a capped pipe that allows<br />
water through (drilled) holes or just underneath a small gap created between the pipe <strong>and</strong> pool<br />
floor. Although these systems have been very effective to help prevent pool water drainage /<br />
filtration problems, some substrates do end up in the water with these methods.<br />
Keeper access doors/gates to enclosures <strong>and</strong> animal shift doors/gates should be designed so<br />
that substrates (or even toys etc.) will not block the door or gates’ path/movement/tracks.<br />
The animal shift <strong>and</strong> keeper door/gate frames should be positioned (raised) somewhat above,<br />
e.g. approx. 10 cm [4”], the surface height of the intended substrates to help prevent this<br />
from occurring. If the keeper doors or shift gates are not already designed (e.g. raised) to help<br />
prevent substrates from blocking them, simple modifications can be made for the same<br />
purpose. Log borders can be placed near the front/back of keeper or shift doors/gates to keep<br />
substrates behind <strong>and</strong> away from the doors or gates. If necessary, only a small area, just wide<br />
enough for the passage of the door, should be left without the recommended substrates, although<br />
other designs/modifications could be made to avoid this. Logs, that extend just beyond the<br />
width of the shift door/gate frame <strong>and</strong> that raise about 10cm above the tracks, can be placed<br />
directly against the shift frame. Shift doors can also be simply modified, if already<br />
constructed, with an approx. 10 cm (4”) wooden lip that is made to fit immediately in the front<br />
<strong>and</strong> back of the door/gate track to serve the same purpose.<br />
A small border/edge (e.g. made of wood/plywood boards) can be placed/fixed along the<br />
outside bottom edge of containment barriers that are not solid (i.e. fence, lattice etc.) to<br />
prevent loose floor <strong>and</strong> l<strong>and</strong> substrates from pushing through containment barriers or to<br />
prevent cubs from crawling between barrier mesh.<br />
It is ideal to keep mulch <strong>and</strong> s<strong>and</strong> l<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> floor substrates adjacent to each other, but not<br />
mixed together. Simple borders can be made from logs (e.g. see above), large rocks, boulders,<br />
etc. to help keep the substrates separated. Mulch <strong>and</strong> s<strong>and</strong> can also be kept separate from soil<br />
with this method as well.<br />
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