Jessica Groenendijk, Frank Hajek, Christof Schenck, Elke Staib, and Jorge Calvimontes would like to thank Peru’s National Service for Protected Areas (SERNANP) for the opportunity to work in Manu National Park. JG, FH, JC, ES, and CS received funding from the Frankfurt Zoological Society - Help for Threatened Wildlife (http://www.zgf.de/?id=14&language=en). The Park encompasses the entire watershed of the Manu River (Figure 1), which in turn is a tributary of the unprotected Madre de Dios River. Social activities include hunting, grooming, resting and communicating. The average rate of human population growth between 2002 and 2012 was 3%, the highest in the country [38]. Brazil comprises roughly 3 quarters of the giant otter’s entire range. Observations of wild and captive otters suggest that giant otters are weaned at approx. A reproductive individual’s tenure typically ended in disappearance. These areas, resulting from conservation and land use planning decisions at the national level, have been crucial in stabilizing populations. Copyright: © 2014 Groenendijk et al. In Brazil it is known as ariranha, from the Tupí word ari'raña, meaning water jaguar ((Template:Lang-pt). As the lakes are all formed by the Manu River, lake depth is not highly variable; average lake depth is 2.04 m (range 0.5–4.89 m, SD = 0.97, n = 22) [33]. For large carnivores, that typically occur at low absolute densities, demography is especially relevant for Protected Area design [3] and direct management interventions such as habitat zoning. The giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) is an Endangered apex carnivore inhabiting the Madre de Dios region in Peru’s Amazon basin. The dominant pair in each family produces a litter once a year and other adults do not breed [16], [18]. Affiliations Gestation is between 64 to 77 days [20], [26], [27], [28]. Partner compatibility (i.e. At Lake Salvador, where tourism is most intense, we did not observe any offspring this year either - which is an exception among Manu´s otter population. The Giant Otter is a noisy otter species and has been documented with distinct sounds indicating aggression, alarm and reassurance. In Spanish, river wolf (Spanish: [lobo de río] error: {{lang}}: text has italic markup (help)) and water dog (Spanish: [perro de agua] error: {{lang}}: text has italic markup (help)) are used occasionally, though the latter has many other meanings) and may have been more … Successors were trained in census methodology in the field by the preceding census team, and the same field equipment was used. No, Is the Subject Area "Census" applicable to this article? When members of a breeding pair of a similar, young age occupy a high quality territory, they have the potential for high reproductive success: the five most productive breeding pairs (defined as producing 10 or more cubs during their shared breeding tenure) produced at least 10, 11, 19, 21 and 25 cubs within their respective territories. No, Is the Subject Area "Flooding" applicable to this article? ), and have higher fish capture rates [16]. As all suitable territories in Manu have now been occupied by resident groups and there are more non-breeding transients in the system, intraspecific competition is likely to increase in the future, with a consequent decrease in r. Male and female giant otters show very similar traits with respect to average ages at first litter (female 4.4 yrs, male 4.6 yrs. Giant Otters (Pteronura brasiliensis) were on the brink of extinction with an estimate of just 300 individuals left in the wild in the 1980s, according to an IUCN report. We recommend that an aquatic habitat conservation corridor be consolidated along the Madre de Dios River, ensuring the restoration of otter habitats impacted by mining and deforestation therein. Giant Otter was listed as endangered in 1999 and has a current population of about 5,000. When they visit latrines, otters often defecate and urinate simultaneously [4] (fecaluria). Endangered giant otters, Pteronura brasiliensis, are found along the Amazon and Orinoco rivers and most of their tributaries. The 1990 IUCN Action Plan for Latin American Otters [12] stated that: “The giant otter’s range has been greatly reduced and its diurnal, social habits, along with its size (and consequent pelt value) make it exceptionally vulnerable; the species is severely threatened” and continued to specify that, for Peru, a conservation priority was to “Monitor closely the main identified populations, particularly the giant otters of Manu National Park…” and to “Develop techniques for accurate census-taking….” This study was initiated to respond to these needs. After a period of high survival during the early adult years (4.5–7.5), survival decreases again, first slowly and then more rapidly in later years. The total population of giant river otters in the wild could now be as low as 5,000. We assumed a linear relationship between habitat area and population size given the observed relationship between den density and population … They will seek a peaceful place (or "picnic spot") to eat their prey. These have focused on reducing human pressure on key habitats of the species, with the objective of maintaining habitat quality and maximizing giant otter reproductive success. Yes km. The size of litters when at least one cub emerged averaged 2.1 (SE = 0.10, n = 14), and there was no evidence for a temporal trend (Pearson’s r = −0.26, P = 0.36, n = 14). It is not clear why or how these displacements occurred. Sexes were distinguishable when individuals were entirely out of the water, usually when basking or grooming on logs. Year-round, peak in late spring-early summer, 2. Censuses were coordinated by Staib and Schenck between 1991 and 1996, by Groenendijk and Hajek between 1999 and 2005, and by Calvimontes in 2006. Overall, the population was comprised of younger individuals in the 2002 and 2004 censuses, compared to 1994 and 1996 censuses, which is consistent with the observed population growth. here. Reproductive suppression is likely to occur in giant otters, as only the dominant pair in each family breeds [4]. For more information about PLOS Subject Areas, click https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0106202.t004. The most important economic activity by far is alluvial gold mining, more than half of it informal and illegal. Unfortunately, this has become the most pressing question regarding the giant river otter. Overlapping of neighbouring home ranges was not observed in Manu, but cannot be discounted. In a Manu study analyzing mercury and methyl mercury levels in fish muscles, Gutleb et al. following the predecessor’s death). Hunting in the mid-1970s pushed giant otter populations to the brink of extinction. Becoming an extra-group breeder was not observed. Yes https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0106202.g004. Observed group size ranged from 2 to 13, with a mean of 6.0 (n = 117). Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: PJ DM. It is both the world’s largest otter and largest member of the mustelid family, reaching up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) in length. Observed litter size at time of census ranged from 1 to 5 with a mode of 2 (post-emergence mean = 2.2, SE = 0.04, n = 78). Despite this, almost two decades later, in 1993, the species was upgraded from ‘Vulnerable’ to its current ‘Endangered’ IUCN Red List status [11]. Only 11.3% were born during the wet season (first and fourth quarters combined). Its jaws and teeth are so powerful, that it can literally bite through the shell of a turtle. Most otter groups reacted to the survey canoe by approaching and repeatedly craning head and neck straight out of the water, a behaviour known as ‘periscoping’. These otters are able to swim 330 feet (100 meters) in less than 30 seconds. The population of giant otter in the Pantanal may reach 3969 (SD = 1103) individuals, based on our estimated number of individual per kilometer of rivers and creeks (0.54 ± 0.15), over a total of about 7350km of rivers and secondary channels occurring in the Pantanal. Female and male giant otters show similar traits with respect to average reproductive life-spans (female 5.4 yrs., male 5.2 yrs.) Yes Click through the PLOS taxonomy to find articles in your field. Rarely, an animal lacked a throat marking (n = 3 out of 294 inds.). Although widely distributed on a continental scale, overall they may occupy less than 5%, often less than 1% of a given watershed. It is the longest member of the weasel family, Mustelidae, a globally successful group of predators, reaching up to 1.7 metres (5.6 ft). Unfortunately, due to habitat destruction from logging, farming, and mining, the Giant Otter is near extinction, with a wild population … Since the environmental capacity has not increased (the area has been protected since 1973 when the Park was established, almost 20 years before this study was initiated), this suggests a return to carrying capacity after the hunting decades. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0106202, Editor: Alexander J. Travis, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, United States of America, Received: April 16, 2014; Accepted: July 28, 2014; Published: August 27, 2014. Giant Otters are social creatures who learn from each other and live in tight-knit extended families. Otter groups tend to maintain these core territories throughout the year and from year to year; long-term spatial fidelity therefore permits retrospective inference of a group’s presence even when group composition changes (for example, through inheritance). Their fur is extremely soft and is a chocolate brown except for a pattern of large creamy white patches under their long neck, thought to be unique for each individual otter. It lives only in the rivers and creeks of the Amazon, Orinoco, and La Plata river systems. The Manu population was sub-divided into known-age (i.e. Its velvety pelt has attracted poachers leading to a significant reduction in their numbers. We studied population structure and genetic diversity of giant otters from Colombia’s Orinoco basin using analyses of … Both displaced females stayed on in their groups until disappearance, one for a further two years. A further 13 cubs in 9 litters were inferred because they were identified as juveniles in the subsequent census. Long-term population studies yield the vital rates and demographic data necessary to understand the factors responsible for changes in populations and hence allow the evaluation of the effectiveness of conservation management decisions [1], [2]. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0106202.g002, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0106202.g003, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0106202.t001. It appears, retrospectively, that the population in the floodplain of Manu National Park was still in a process of recovery from the impact of the pelt trade - not all the available territories were occupied when this study was initiated in 1991. No, Is the Subject Area "Peru" applicable to this article? A giant otter population is typically described as consisting of family groups and of lone dispersers of both sexes. Discover a faster, simpler path to publishing in a high-quality journal. Family groups are generally composed of a monogamous breeding pair and their offspring of several years, numbering 2–16 individuals [4], [5], [16], [18]. No invasive sampling methods were used and no giant otters were captured. Over the next 16 years (1991–2006), the population grew (r = 0.03), with this being due to an increase in (1) the number of breeding groups (from 7 in 1991 to 12 in 2000), and therefore the number of litters per year, (2) the size of groups (from a mean of 4.8 in 1992 to 6.5 in 2004), and (3) the number of transients in the system (from 2 in 1993 to 19 in 2005). Inferred animals or groups are those which are assumed to have been in the population and study area in a given year when they were identified in both the previous and subsequent census, and were included in the analyses; in the case of groups for which there was a gap in data continuity, the number of individuals was estimated to be the average of group sizes in the years before and after that gap (provided key group members could be identified). Both their study in Selous and this study in Manu relied on determining age- and sex-specific annual rates of survival rather than mortality: no dead giant otters were encountered during the study hence natural causes of mortality are uncertain. spend significantly less time obtaining food than do smaller groups (5 inds. The groups are centered on a dominant breeding pair and … Males can then be distinguished from females by the larger space between the sources of the urine and scat streams [45]. broad scope, and wide readership – a perfect fit for your research every time. Frankfurt Zoological Society, Frankfurt, Germany, Affiliation The vulnerability of the Manu giant otter population to anthropogenic disturbance emphasises the importance of effective protection of core lake habitats in particular. If typical, this suggests a pre census cub mortality of at least 30%. The species is also found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela. If Protected Areas are excluded from the analysis, the situation is much worse. Of the 17 cubs involved, 12 were subsequently recorded during the annual census. of similar age) and territory quality also play important roles [unpublished]. In some of its range countries the populations are fairly stable but giant otters have gone extinct in some of their range countries. Observations of captive individuals suggest that giant otters of both sexes reach sexual maturity at between 2 and 3 years of age [20], [22]. Giant otters … In two cases, however, dominant females were displaced by another female in the group (a sister and a daughter). Habitat fragmentation and loss, as well as pollution are the current major threats to the Giant otter, as the areas where they live are degraded and destroyed by logging, mining and damming. Although cooperation between group members during hunting is not fully understood, larger groups (8 inds.) Despite a recent recovery in some areas following banning of the fur trade, the species now faces several emerging threats that remain poorly understood. All field research was conducted in accordance with the requisite permits awarded by the Instituto Nacional de Recursos Naturales (INRENA), later Servicio Nacional de Areas Naturales Protegidas por el Estado (SERNANP). We present findings on the demography of a population inhabiting the floodplain of Manu National Park, south-eastern Peru, arising from 14 annual dry season censuses over a 16 year period. In none of these cases was the male partner related to the philopatric female. Giant Otter on The IUCN Red List site -, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_otter, http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/18711/0. A family consists of a mated pair and their offspring of several generation. The Giant River Otter only lives in three river systems: the Am… An adult giant otter may eat 3–4 kg of food per day [7], [16]. Estimates have been provided for the following countries: 60 animals in Bolivia in the northwest in the Madre de Dios-Beni sub-basin; 50 individuals in 118,031 km² of the Pantanal (Paraguay river sub-basin), and 600 animals in the in 186,460 km² of the northeast (Itenez sub-basin), totaling an estimated 700 individuals; less than 250 animals in Ecuador; at least 200 animals in French Guiana; and 24-32 animals in Paraguay. Giant otters were very nearly extinct by the 1970s. The primary cause for this population decline was poaching for otter pelt. Driven by increasing gold prices and new road access, the extent of gold mining in the Madre de Dios region increased from less than 10,000 hectares in 1999 to more than 50,000 hectares in 2012. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0106202.g006. Next came the creation and implementation of large protected areas that contained remnant giant otter populations, including Manu. In its lower stretches, the Manu is a lowland, white-water river, varying in width between 150 m and 200 m, with sandy beaches and frequent meanders. The area of lake encompassed by a territory predicts group structure: both the size of the groups and the fecundity of the breeding female are proportional to the total lake area within the group territory [unpublished]. the Manu floodplain is assumed to be neither a source nor sink population within the wider Upper Madre de Dios river ecosystem). Life expectancy peaks between 4.5 and 5.5 years, with the longest-lived male and female last seen at 15.5 years and at least 13.5 years old respectively. Once otters become reproductively dominant, individual differences in breeding success depend principally on the duration of dominance tenure (Table S2), although breeding route may also play a role. Alluvial gold mining, more than half of it informal and illegal several. 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