First giant otter field trip of the year, including several guests and fish sampling, completed

The Peru Giant Otter Conservation Project has recently returned from a long field trip, in which several oxbow lakes have been surveyed for the presence of these large aquatic carnivores. The trip took place in Manu National Park and the Amarakaeri communal reserve. The research team has documented nine giant otter groups, including the one in the above picture, from lake Juarez. Five of these groups also demonstrated evidence of reproduction. These protected sites will be visited again in November to gain further knowledge on the distribution, population dynamics and reproductive success of giant otters.

To quantify the availability of fish, we have captured and sampled fish from six of the protected area's seasonal lakes. Every fish was measured and classified, and also sampled for mercury analysis. The project’s assistants and volunteers worked day and night, risking pirana bites and driving black caiman away from the fishing nets. This aspect of the giant otter project is a collaboration with CINCIA and Wake Forest University.

One of the Peru Giant Otter Conservation Project (San Diego Zoo Global) objectives is to train young Peruvian biologists and contribute for the building of the next generation of tropical conservationists. As part of this mission, several sampling techniques for giant otters, birds and fish are taught and implemented. In the last field trip, it was a pleasure having assistants Alejandro Alarcon Pardo and Nicole Abanto and volunteer Aracely Meza. Their work was instrumental to achieve the project’s research goals