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

Association of Zoos and Aquariums 82
Otter (Lutrinae) Care Manual
dangerous. Animal safety should be considered and exhibits constructed, as far as possible, that prohibit
the public from throwing potentially harmful items or food into the animals’ space.
8.4 Staff Skills and Training
Staff members should be trained in all areas of animal behavior management. Funding should be
provided for AZA continuing education courses, related meetings, conference participation, and other
professional opportunities. A reference library appropriate to the size and complexity of the institution
should be available to all staff and volunteers to provide them with accurate information on the behavioral
needs of the otters with which they work.
The following skills are recommended for all animal caretakers involved in the management of otters
of ex-situ populations:
• Keepers and managers should have an in-depth understanding of the species’ natural history and
the individual’s history.
• Keepers and managers should have an in-depth understanding of the individual’s behaviors, an
understanding of the function of those behaviors, and the ability to describe those behaviors
orally and in writing.
• Keepers should be able to recognize signs of illness and injury in the otter species they are
working with and to communicate those signs orally or in writing to managers and veterinarians.
• Keepers should be able to accurately assess the appropriate level of cleanliness and safety of the
animal’s exhibit, holding area, and food-prep area.
• Keepers should have the skills to safely capture or restrain the otter species in question.
• Keepers should have some understanding of the species’ natural diet and foraging style.
• Keepers and managers should have an understanding of enrichment concepts and have a
commitment to consistently enhance the environments of the species in their care.
• Keepers should understand the concepts of animal learning and training, be able to use a variety
of techniques (e.g., habituation, operant conditioning) to train the animals under their care, and to
create a training plan (identifying training steps, cues, and criteria). See www.animaltraining.org
for additional information.
• Managers should understand the concepts of animal learning and training, be able to coach
keepers in all aspects of training, review their training plans, look for consistency among keepers
in their training techniques, and help their teams prioritize training, enrichment, and other
husbandry goals.
• Keepers and managers should have an understanding of the enclosure conditions and husbandry
practices needed to maintain the otters’ physical and behavioral health, as well as to promote a
successful pup-rearing environment.