Otter (Lutrinae) Care Manual - Association of Zoos and Aquariums

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Association of Zoos and Aquariums 18 Otter (Lutrinae) Care Manual may actually be stressful to some otters if their territory is totally cleared of their markings. All detergents should be thoroughly rinsed, as any residue left on the floor, mats, or furnishings can strip their coats of its natural oils (Schollhamer 1987). Food and water containers should be cleaned and disinfected daily. All food remains should be removed before it can become spoiled; in some climates this may require removal more than once a day. A safe and effective control program for insects, ectoparasites, and bird and mammal pests also should be maintained. The same careful consideration regarding exhibit size and complexity and its relationship to the otter’s overall well-being must be given to the design and size all enclosures, including those used in exhibits, holding areas, hospital, and quarantine/isolation (10.3.3). A holding area connected to the exhibit is recommended; ideally this should include a pool with clean water available at all times, proper lighting, appropriate lighting cycle, a sleeping or den box, enough floor space for grooming and drying areas, an outdoor play area (if extended stays are routine), and at least one nest box that is heavily bedded to allow excess moisture to be removed from the animals’ coats (Lombardi et al. 1998; Reed-Smith 2001). Each holding den should be large enough to at a minimum allow the animal to turn around (when used only for holding during cleaning) but at least 122cm (4 ft.) by 122cm (4 ft.) if an otter is to be held over-night. Best practices would include larger night dens than this minimum. Holding pens should have non-climbable sides, access one to another (allowing animals to have more room during extended stays), and multiple ingress and egress to the exhibit. Maternity dens should be isolated so exhibit mates do not have to pass in front of this den to enter or exit the exhibit. If chain-link barriers are present, the sides should be covered with lexan or similar material to prevent animals from climbing too high and falling. Quarantine facilities should offer the maximum space available. They should be furnished with natural items to include logs, stumps, and outdoor carpeting that can be periodically disinfected/changed as well as sand/mulch/straw/soil boxes that can be changed when they become soiled or saturated. 2.2 Safety and Containment Otters are not appropriate for free-ranging environments. Animal exhibits and holding areas in all AZA-accredited institutions must be secured to prevent unintentional animal egress (11.3.1). Exhibit design should be considered carefully to ensure that all areas are secure and particular attention must be given to shift doors, gates, keeper access doors, locking mechanisms and exhibit barrier dimensions and construction. Otters can climb, and will take advantage of anything provided. Trees, bushes, etc., should be placed away from exhibit perimeters. Walls should be non-climbable, and fences should be strong and inhibit climbing. The containment walls/fence should be at least 1.52m (5ft) high for A. cinereus and at least 1.83m (6ft) high for L. canadensis, L. maculicollis, P. brasiliensis, and A. capensis. While these heights should contain most otters, Ben- David (personal communication) reported a L. canadensis scaling a 3m (9.8ft) fence. Animals that are known to be climbers may require additional containment height or features. It has been shown that Lutra lutra can clear 1.3m (4.27ft) when leaping from the ground to a platform, 1.6m (5.25ft) when jumping from one platform to another, and 0.92m (3ft) when jumping from the water onto a platform, if they are able to push off from the pool bottom (Reuther 1991). If containment barriers are mesh, they should be topped with an un-climbable, inward-facing overhang of 80cm AZA Accreditation Standard (10.3.3) All animal enclosures (exhibits, holding areas, hospital, and quarantine/isolation) must be of a size and complexity sufficient to provide for the animal’s physical, social, and psychological well-being; and exhibit enclosures must include provisions for the behavioral enrichment of the animals. AZA Accreditation Standard (11.3.1) All animal exhibits and holding areas must be secured to prevent unintentional animal egress. AZA Accreditation Standard (11.3.6) Guardrails/barriers must be constructed in all areas where the visiting public could have contact with other than handleable animals. AZA Accreditation Standard (11.2.3) All emergency procedures must be written and provided to staff and, where appropriate, to volunteers. Appropriate emergency procedures must be readily available for reference in the event of an actual emergency. These procedures should deal with four basic types of emergencies: fire, weather/environment; injury to staff or a visitor; animal escape. (2.7ft) (Duplaix-Hall 1975; Foster-Turley 1990). Hot wire can be used, but should not be accessible to an animal in the water, and should be placed at a height that will not cause injury to an animal if they fall as a result of touching the wire.
Association of Zoos and Aquariums 19 Otter (Lutrinae) Care Manual Otters also dig proficiently (particularly A. capensis, L. canadensis, and P. brasiliensis). When designing exhibits, perimeter walls and fences should be buried or mesh linked. Sinking perimeter fences/walls at least 80cm (2.6ft) is advisable for most species, however, Sykes-Gatz (2005) recommends sinking perimeter fences deeper than 1m (3.28ft) for P. brasiliensis, because this species easily digs down that far. Holes along perimeter containment should be promptly refilled. To provide additional safety, secondary containment areas should be constructed at all enclosure entrances. Exhibits in which the visiting public may have contact with animals must have a guardrail/barrier that separates the two (11.3.6). Barriers should be high enough to prevent visitors from reaching over or into the exhibit. In case of an otter escaping institutional and AZA policies for containment should be followed. Typically all otters will run and hide if they are not able to return to their exhibit. Staff should notify the appropriate chain of command, keep the animal in sight, ask the public to leave the area, and attempt to slowly encourage the animal into a building or other confined area. Nets, push boards, and gloves should be availbe in case of these emergencies. Tranquilizer guns should not be used on these species, particularly the smaller ones. Instead, if anesthesia is required a blow pipe should be used. In the case of severe weather (i.e. hurricanes, tornados, thunderstorms animals should be confined to indoor holding. Policies regarding other emergencies such as fire or earthquake should be developed by each institution based on the species and enclosure design. For all of these situations, an institutional policy should be developed in advance and all emergency safety procedures should be clearly written, provided to appropriate staff and volunteers, and readily available for reference in the event of an actual emergency (11.2.3). Staff training for emergencies must be undertaken and records of such training maintained. Security personnel must be trained to handle all emergencies in full accordance with the policies and procedures of the institution and in some cases, may be in charge of the respective emergency (11.6.2). Emergency drills should be conducted at least once annually for each basic type of emergency to ensure all staff is aware of emergency procedures and to identify potential problematic areas that may require adjustment. These drills should be recorded and evaluated to ensure that procedures are being followed, that staff training is effective and that what is learned is used to correct and/or improve the emergency procedures. Records of these drills should be maintained and improvements in the procedures duly noted whenever such are identified. AZA-accredited institutions must have a communication system that can be quickly accessed in case of an emergency (11.2.4). AZA-accredited institutions must also ensure that written protocols define how and when local police or other emergency agencies are contacted and specify response times to emergencies (11.2.5). AZA-accredited institutions which care for potentially dangerous animals must have appropriate safety procedures in place to prevent attacks and injuries by these animals (11.5.3). Animal attack emergency response procedures must be defined and personnel must be trained for these protocols (11.5.3). Otter attack emergency drills should be conducted at least once annually to ensure that the institution’s staff know their duties and responsibilities and know how to handle emergencies properly when they occur. All drills need to be recorded and evaluated to ensure that procedures are being followed, that staff training is effective, and that what is learned is used to correct and/or improve the emergency procedures. Records of these AZA Accreditation Standard (11.6.2) Security personnel, whether staff of the institution, or a provided and/or contracted service, must be trained to handle all emergencies in full accordance with the policies and procedures of the institution. In some cases, it is recognized that Security personnel may be in charge of the respective emergency (i.e., shooting teams). AZA Accreditation Standard (11.2.4) The institution must have a communication system that can be quickly accessed in case of an emergency. AZA Accreditation Standard (11.2.5) A written protocol should be developed involving local police or other emergency agencies and include response times to emergencies. AZA Accreditation Standard (11.5.3) Institutions maintaining potentially dangerous animals (sharks, whales, tigers, bears, etc.) must have appropriate safety procedures in place to prevent attacks and injuries by these animals. Appropriate response procedures must also be in place to deal with an attack resulting in an injury. These procedures must be practiced routinely per the emergency drill requirements contained in these standards. Whenever injuries result from these incidents, a written account outlining the cause of the incident, how the injury was handled, and a description of any resulting changes to either the safety procedures or the physical facility must be prepared and maintained for five years from the date of the incident.
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Otter (Lutrinae) Care Manual - Association of Zoos and Aquariums

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