Endangered giant otter joins us at the zoo
We are VERY EXCITED to welcome Manu to the zoo after our male giant otter, Tarubu, sadly passed away last year. GIANT OTTERS are a social species who thrive with others, so Tibiri is very happy to have a NEW PLAYMATE to spend the summer swimming and splashing around with! The pair are already becoming more confident in each other’s company and can often be spotted enjoying a swim together in their outdoor pool.
Earning the nickname, ‘river wolves’ in their Amazon home, the giant otters have large razor-sharp teeth and a strong muscular body, making them extra agile and streamlined in the water. The largest of the otter species in the world, they can be up to one metre tall when standing and weigh up to 30kg. Their sensitive, webbed paws are perfect for feeling out and catching fish, frogs and molluscs along the riverbed.
Manu’s arrival from Budapest Zoo is an important part of our plan to protect this endangered species from extinction, with hopes that the newly matched pair may be the key to eight-year-old Tibiri welcoming her first cubs. Listed as Endangered on The International Union for Conservation’s (IUCN) Red List, giant otters are threatened by human expansion, mining and hunting in their native habitats of the Amazon, Orinoco and La Plata river systems, which is why successfully breeding in zoos like ours is key to their protection.
- Local mines use mercury to extract gold. The excess mercury from this process is then burnt off, creating fumes that poisons the microorganisms and fish in rivers where giant otters live, leading them to eat poisoned food
- Logging and farming around the habitats of giant otters damages the soil and riverbanks that the otters use to build their dens and raise cubs. The otters are then, sadly, forced to abandon their dens, meaning more of their precious habitat is lost.
- Giant otters are also hunted for their meat and water-resistant fur. Although the trade in giant otter fur was banned in 1973, which has helped their numbers recover slightly, this remains a threat to this unique species.
- Local mines use mercury to extract gold. The excess mercury from this process is then burnt off, creating fumes that poisons the microorganisms and fish in rivers where giant otters live, leading them to eat poisoned food
- Logging and farming around the habitats of giant otters damages the soil and riverbanks that the otters use to build their dens and raise cubs. The otters are then, sadly, forced to abandon their dens, meaning more of their precious habitat is lost.
- Giant otters are also hunted for their meat and water-resistant fur. Although the trade in giant otter fur was banned in 1973, which has helped their numbers recover slightly, this remains a threat to this unique species.
- With a large outdoor and indoor pool, you check out the underwater viewing windows to see if you can spot the ‘river wolves’ taking a dip.
- There's bamboo feeders and floats that hide the giant otters’ food. These help to keep Manu and Tibiri physically and mentally stimulated as they search for their next meal.
- If you’re lucky you might spot the giant otters digging in their large sandpit, which helps to keep their all-important webbed paws healthy.
You can find the giant otters behind the penguin habitat!
