A large otter of South American rivers and lakes. It lives in family groups and hunts fish mainly during the day.
It has a flattened tail and pale throat markings whose pattern differs among individuals.
When a giant otter loses sight of its family while fishing, it repeats a piercing call. Observations including wild groups in Peru recorded family members answering and approaching, with lower hums also exchanged once they came within sight. Youngsters whose swimming and fishing skills are still developing sometimes eat fish on fallen trees at the lakeshore while the family fishes farther away. Their calls accompany the family coming together again.
A study published in 2014 examined five wild groups in Peru and three zoo groups in Germany, distinguishing 22 adult vocalization types. Calls occurred in contexts including contact with companions, alarm and begging for fish. Newborn cubs also produced varied sounds. Recordings from one wild and one captive litter contained 11 types, including calls resembling adult sounds and high whistles without an adult equivalent. From family movements along the water to newborn life in the den, vocalizations varied with age and context.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
At Colombia’s Bojonawi Private Natural Reserve in 2008, a young male raised around people underwent rehabilitation for return to the wild. Live fish in a waterside enclosure encouraged catching, while human contact was reduced as he swam and explored. He eventually stayed in the forest independently; repeated sightings were reported as late as 17 months after release. The practitioner recommended preparation tailored to each animal’s swimming and feeding abilities, and enough suitable space for released otters to avoid resident animals.