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

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Association of Zoos and Aquariums 28 Otter (Lutrinae) Care Manual P. brasiliensis: This species should not be kept in mixed-species exhibits due to their highly territorial and aggressive nature. There is a record of one unsuccessful attempt at housing giant otter with caiman, which was abandoned when a caiman attacked an injured otter and was subsequently removed. 4.3 Introductions and Reintroductions Managed care for and reproduction of animals housed in AZA-accredited institutions are dynamic processes. Otters born in or moved between and within institutions require introduction and sometimes reintroductions to other animals. It is important that all introductions are conducted in a manner that is safe for all otters and humans involved. Introductions may take anywhere from a few hours to weeks or months in some cases. There are some introductions that will never be successful. In general, these documented, unsuccessful cases involved multiple female L. canadensis or P. brasiliensis, male-male introductions in otter species other than L. canadensis, and some L. canadensis male-female pairings. However, there is always a risk that an introduction will not be successful so all attempts should be monitored closely. Otters are very social animals; introductions should be carried out in the standard way, beginning with auditory and olfactory introductions, and then moving onto visual and limited tactile contact. Once affiliative behavior is observed (e.g., chuckling, rubbing, grunting, “friendly” pawing, and rolling – for additional behavior descriptions see Rostain 2000; Reed-Smith 2001; Rostain et al. 2004, Sykes-Gatz 2005), physical introduction can be attempted, preferably in neutral territory (see exceptions for giant otter below). New animals should be allowed to familiarize themselves with their new holding and exhibit prior to any physical introductions to other otters/future exhibit-mates. Introducing adult females to other adult females is difficult and is generally not recommended for any of the otter species (see Appendix N for suggested protocol if female/female introductions are tried). Groups of females that are compatible may exhibit aggression towards one another during estrus or be impossible to reintroduce after even a short separation (L. canadensis in particular). In cases of aggression during estrus, the females should be separated (Schollhamer 1987; J.Reed-Smith, unpublished data). Auditory, visual, and olfactory introduction should be successfully completed before attempting physical introduction. Successful introductions have been reported as early as one day and have taken as long as several months or more. Training animals to station may be beneficial when attempting introductions, but there are limited data on its use with otters. Reintroductions may need to follow the same steps, particularly if animals have been separated for any length of time. When animals are reintroduced to one another, even after short separations, staff should carry out each step (auditory, olfactory, visual, limited tactile, then full contact) to ensure animals do not experience undue stress or injury. L. canadensis: Some introductions will never be successful with L. canadensis, particularly adult female to adult female introductions (Reed-Smith 2001) and some adult female to sexually immature male introductions. In general, the latter introductions should not be attempted while the female is in estrus; it is possible that immature males may be regarded as “female” by adult females leading to aggression on her part. Unsuccessful introductions should never progress beyond the screaming, lunging, or fighting stage, or result in stressful stand-offs where the animals stay away from one another, scream if the other approaches, and may refuse to go on exhibit if the other animal is there. Introductions of breeding pairs should be handled as any other, but may move more quickly, particularly during estrus. Introductions of all other L. canadensis pairings/groups should be conducted as indicated above. Hand-reared L. canadensis may require some time to transfer their focus from humans to otters. The easiest way to accomplish this is to have their primary caregiver perform the introductions and stay with the animal (free contact situations) or on the other side of the caging (protected contact situations) for the initial introductions. Once the hand-reared animal is comfortable with the other otter, their attention often transfers immediately to that animal and away from the human caregiver. Hand-reared otters should be introduced to other otters as soon after weaning as possible. It is also recommended to raise more than one pup together, if possible (Reed-Smith 2004b). Fostering of pups to another nursing female was successful following an attempt (Columbus Zoo and Beardsley Zoo). L. maculicollis: For male-female introductions, estrus female spotted-necked otters that have previously been with a male are easily introduced again to the same male or to a different, experienced male. When introducing a sexually mature, but inexperienced male and female, less aggression occurs if the pair is introduced when the female is not in estrus (Schollhamer 1987).
Association of Zoos and Aquariums 29 Otter (Lutrinae) Care Manual P. brasiliensis: P. brasiliensis that are unfamiliar with each other, and those that have been temporarily separated (i.e., animals that were previously housed together), should be introduced or reintroduced to each other in a gradual, cautious, and closely monitored manner. It is necessary that visual-acousticolfactory introductions be conducted before potentially dangerous, full-contact physical introductions are attempted. Reports of significant injury and death during improperly conducted giant otter introductions have not been uncommon. During introductions/reintroductions, females are more commonly reported to have injured/killed males, and even other females, than have males. However, males have been known to occasionally injure other males. Females appear to be the more dominant animal during typical introductions (this generally holds true even once pairing has been accomplished), and they seem to initiate fights more often (Sykes-Gatz 2005). Some giant otters, after 1-2 weeks of visual introduction, have been successfully introduced after their first full-contact day; other pairings have taken up to 8 weeks. Initial positive reactions during the first few days of visual and full-contact introductions can be misleading. Otters may initially be compatible for some period of time, but show serious aggression later. Tolerance, stress, tiredness, aggression, affiliation levels, hunger, etc. should be considered when determining timing of initial full-contact sessions, when to increase contact time, and when to decrease or stop contact. Some tension and minor, non-harmful fights should be allowed, but temporary separation is required before serious fighting develops. During introductions, it is advisable to use fence barriers with ~2cm x 2cm (1" x 1") mesh size or cover existing fences with material of this mesh size. This will prevent fence fighting and/or injury to body parts. It is advisable to conduct introductions in areas of sufficient size, allowing for proper interaction between the otters; Sykes-Gatz (2005) recommends an introduction fence of at least 5m (16.4ft) in length. During introductions, the otters should be provided with sufficient living space to allow for their privacy and isolation if desired. The International Giant Otter Studbook Husbandry and Management Information and Guidelines (Sykes-Gatz 2005) provides greater detail on the recommended introduction procedure for this species.
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Otter (Lutrinae) Care Manual - Association of Zoos and Aquariums

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