Giant Otter
For almost every child, going to the Giant Otter exhibit is the most important part of their zoo visit. There, they can witness these gorgeous and massive mammals interact with each other inside and outside the water. They get to listen to their calls and even sometimes watch them be fed by a trainer. For a child, that is one of the neatest things they get to experience. Little do they know that the Giant Otter is an endangered species of animals. Their population is threatened every day.
The Giant Otter originally habitats north-central South America and lives mostly in the Amazon River and the Pantanal, which is the tropical wetlands in Brazil. There are reportedly less than five thousand left in their natural homes because of poachers and other predators. As of 2010, there have been only forty-eight Giant Otters in captivity across the world.
The Giant Otter is a phenomenal species of animal. Males and females can be up to five feet, nine inches long. Their weights differ between the two with the males weighing significantly more than the female. Although the Giant Otters are so long in length they don’t actually weigh a lot. Males can weigh up to around one hundred pounds, while the females only weigh up to around sixty pounds.
When it comes to their diet, they consume up to ten percent of their body weight daily, which measures around seven pounds. In the wild, they feed on whatever is available in the rivers, like fish and other seafood. They are known to eat catfish, cichlids, and piranha. If those certain types of fish aren’t available they will munch on crabs and snakes.
The professionals in zoos and rescues are trying their hardest to get these creatures to reproduce in captivity to keep them safe. However, they require a massive amount of privacy in order to raise their young. If they are not provided privacy, the parents may neglect or even kill their young. So all necessary measures are taken to ensure that these endangered animals do not become further endangered and live on to be one of the most beautiful sea animals in the world.
Reference: Illustrated Encyclopedia of endangered animals.
