Trade Insights: Giant River Otter

I am too complex for a cage.

The Giant River Otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) was once found across South America, from Venezuela all the way to Argentina and Uruguay. Now, due to human activities, the species is Endangered and only a few thousand are thought to remain in the wild. Those remaining are further threatened by the harmful pet wildlife trade where they are targeted by exotic animal collectors.

Giant River Otters are incredibly difficult to care for in captivity. Each day, these 6-foot carnivores with sharp teeth must consume large volumes of fish, crustaceans, snakes, and other small animals. In the wild, they live in highly territorial family groups, working together to combat predators like Caimans and Anacondas. They are incredibly vocal, using loud calls to communicate and engage in group howls. They mark their territory with scent glands at the base of their tail and even their own faeces, which has a foul smell due to their fishy diet.

These traits make Giant River Otters highly unsuitable pets. They need lots of space, at least 30 square meters per otter, and become destructive in captivity without sufficient enrichment. Upon sexual maturity, they exhibit aggression for the rest of their lives, which can be up to 13 years. 

The Otter pictured here was being held captive at a wildlife market in Guyana. If it survived, it would have been trafficked and sold into a life of captivity, possibly even into Trinidad and Tobago. Baby Giant River Otters have recently been more frequently smuggled into T&T, with many dying in the process.

In T&T, Giant River Otters are protected under the Conservation of Wild Life Act (CoWLA). It is illegal to keep captive, or sell any otter species in T&T without state issued permits. Any person found in possession of an Otter without a permit is liable to a fine of $5000. Globally, Giant River Otters are protected under Appendix I of the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES).