Giant Otter
Pteronura brasliensis

Where do I Live?  The Giant Otter lives in the rivers and lakes of the South American rainforest. The Giant Otter population once was widespread from Venezuela to northern Argentina.  Today they are found in the slow moving rivers , lakes and ponds of the Orinoco, Amazon, and La Plata rivers.

About me...  With a body length of 1.5-2 metres, it is the longest of all river otters. Giant Otters are carnivorous mammals in the marten-family, related to weasels, badgers and porcupines. Out of all of the members of their family, otters are the species best adapted to aquatic life.   They spend most of their time in the water and find most of their food there. Giant Otters hunt during the day and sleep at night.

Social: Another special feature of the Giant Otter is their highly developed social behaviour. They live in groups of up to 10 individuals, who hunt, sleep, and play together.  After a pregnancy of 65-72 days females give birth to one to four cubs. All group members help with raising the young.   A group occupies a confined territory, and the territories of different groups do not overlap.

What dangers do I face in the wild...  This is one of the most endangered species in South America. Up until the 1980s these otters were excessively hunted for their valuable fur.  Today an estimated 2,000-5,000 are left in isolated pockets due to hunting, pollution and habitat destruction; with the areas in which they live being destroyed and degraded by mining, logging, damming and over-fishing .  Today even in captivity they are very rare, with this park being one of two places in England where you can see these fabulous animals.