São Paulo Aquarium Giant otter studbook issues

[David Matos Mendes]

Well, I'm starting this thread to add informations and discuss with you guys about the troubles and issues the giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) studbook in Brazil is facing. @FelipeDBKO asked me earlier today if there was any material about these topics on these platform, as I had mentioned some issues related to it in another thread; and from his idea, I decided to write a little more about it so that we can keep discussing about it.

To start, as the main giant otter historical holder and breeder in the country, Brasilia Zoo - ZooChat was choosen as the main institution for breeding development of the species at the time of the creation of the studbook. 67 individuals of the species were born at the place in the past, but only a single female was left at the time the place was choosen, so the crew strugled to acquire a male individual to retake the former success in breeding these animals.

In 2019, they received a male from Zoo Dortmund - ZooChat , and the recently arrived guy did very well with the female that was already kept at the place. Unfortunately, she died very few months after the arrival of the new male, due to natural causes, so the zoo started a search for the country's zoos to obtain a female on proper age to keep the plans working. It happens that São Paulo Aquarium - ZooChat, a private institution, was the only tutor that had available individuals that had the needed characteristics, (being them three females) but it is said that they denied to provide any of them them to the national studbook.

This fact made me (and many other people for what I know) stay a little suspicious about the actual objectives of the administrative crew of São Paulo Aquarium - ZooChat, and it is quite clear now that they have denied to send these otters to the program because they much probably had plans to exhibit them in their new zoo (Parque de Cotia (new zoo in São Paulo)), yes, these individuals were in the backstage of the aquarium, much probably waiting to be sent to the new facility, when it opens; wich brings up a kinda selfish behavior, and the famous collection objective to the "company" that owns both zoos, represented by a specific enterpreneur.

Now, I doubt they will easily have access to a male of the species to breed with their females, and if they do, it will be out of the breeding program of the studbook. In a nutshell, brazilian zoos have no possibility to go on with the program for giant otters unless something is made soon, once there are very few individuals in the country's zoos (11, if I'm not wrong) and even less individuals that are able to breed. If I remember well, the only males that would be apt for reproduction would be the one that is left in Brasília and one or two in Americana zoo. About females, as I previously mentioned, the only ones that are not too old for breeding are the ones in the hands of the company that possesses São Paulo Aquarium.

Bioparque do Rio has promised to exhibit the species in the future and probably breed them, but I'd like to know how they plan to obtain the necessary animals... To help, the international population of the species is not very genetically viable in many cases, and most of the zoos that breed the giant otter haven't got a suficiently big group in order to share some individuals with brazilian institutions.

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

Small time personal politics by Parque de Cotia. I wonder if they are a member of the SZB or not?
I thought the studbooks were in part run by Government departments or IBAMA?

 

[FelipeDBKO]

Thanks for the wonderful explanation, David! I wasn't even aware that São Paulo Aquarium held backstage animals other than purposes akin to temporary quarantine, let alone giant otters; maybe something they wished to keep away from the public. Typically the justification for individuals in that condition would be that they're reproductive-only, but if that's truly not the case, it makes sense they where being held for said Animalia Park. By denying to provide the females to the studbook, does that imply that they're not transfering any of them to another institution, or more severe, that the animals are not going to contribute to conservation at all?

 

[jwer]

How about a coöperation with Peru? A few years ago both Huachipa Zoo in Lima as well as Quistococha in Iquitos held the species. There should be other zoos in it’s range (Colombia, Guyana?) as well?

 

[David Matos Mendes]

Small time personal politics by Parque de Cotia. I wonder if they are a member of the SZB or not?
I thought the studbooks were in part run by Government departments or IBAMA?

The AZAB (former SZB) is probably gonna include the new Cotia zoo in it's afiliated institutions. The problem is that they cannot obly the zoos to send the animals where it's more apropriated. Afaik, not even the government department responsible for that (IBAMA) has the authority to do so. The coordinator of the giant otter national studbook, who confirmed SP aquarium should provide an otter and insisted on it, was "surprisingly" fired , so, unfortunately, this situation is a bit difficult...

 

[David Matos Mendes]

Thanks for the wonderful explanation, David! I wasn't even aware that São Paulo Aquarium held backstage animals other than purposes akin to temporary quarantine, let alone giant otters; maybe something they wished to keep away from the public. Typically the justification for individuals in that condition would be that they're reproductive-only, but if that's truly not the case, it makes sense they where being held for said Animalia Park. By denying to provide the females to the studbook, does that imply that they're not transfering any of them to another institution, or more severe, that the animals are not going to contribute to conservation at all?

You're welcome! Yeah, I also got surprised when I knew these giant otters were being kept at the institution, once I've been there recently and didn't see any, so some weeks later, I got to know they were being kept in the backstage.
About the conditions of their denial of providing the animals to the national studbook, I think it shows that the institution doesn't want to share their specimens, so it's not very likely that they would transfer them to other places that are not their own new park. Anyway, if they do, it will probably be in the standards of an exchange, for an species they have interest in keeping in one of their two institutions; in this case, if the zoo that receives the otter(s) involves it(them) in the studbook, than yes, conservation could be maybe developed with these individuals, but I think this is very unlikely to be happening. Hope I'm wrong though.

 

[David Matos Mendes]

How about a coöperation with Peru? A few years ago both Huachipa Zoo in Lima as well as Quistococha in Iquitos held the species. There should be other zoos in it’s range (Colombia, Guyana?) as well?

Importing animals from these countries is one of the few solutions I can see now, although I imagine they might be from different subspecies (not sure though, once they could be from an amazonian subspecies that is similar enough to some of the brazilian individuals to breed with, but afaik, the ones in most of our zoos are from cerrado biome. Anyway, I don't know if giant otters differ their genetics too much only for living in different biomes, so it could be a possibility).
That said, Indeed, as you mentioned, Huachipa seems to be showing good results with the breeding of the species, and also, Cali zoo in Colombia, has been developing good works with them too. Not sure if they have already bred them too. There are probably other zoos in L. America developing nice programs with the species too (much probably not in Guyana though).

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

The AZAB (former SZB) is probably gonna include the new Cotia zoo in it's afiliated institutions. The problem is that they cannot obly the zoos to send the animals where it's more apropriated. Afaik, not even the government department responsible for that (IBAMA) has the authority to do so. The coordinator of the giant otter national studbook, who confirmed SP aquarium should provide an otter and insisted on it, was "surprisingly" fired , so, unfortunately, this situation is a bit difficult...

What is the status of the breeding program or studbook keeper now?

 

[David Matos Mendes]

What is the status of the breeding program or studbook keeper now?

As I said in the end of the previous posts, no breeding groups of the species in the country. No giant otters born since 2002, and the last attempts failed in Brasília, once the female died shortly after the encounter with the male, although they were having a good relation. Only two or three available male individuals (in breeding age) and the only females available are the ones in the hands of São Paulo Aquarium's crew.

 

[arafan]

That's a really bad situation, sadly faced by many species in Brazilian zoos. But I think most of these individuals came in as rescues, wouldn't that mean they would belong to the Union? And what about the happenings in the Pantanal? I can't imagine that no Giant otter was saved during this tragedy. I know that it would be better if Brasília would get a female, but why don't they just give their male to Cotia and get the other two females?
And btw, it seem like there is a very small genetic difference between the populations, what does support that it's a monotypic species. Although there seem to be four different lineages, that should be tried to being kept pure.

 

[David Matos Mendes]

That's a really bad situation, sadly faced by many species in Brazilian zoos. But I think most of these individuals came in as rescues, wouldn't that mean they would belong to the Union? And what about the happenings in the Pantanal? I can't imagine that no Giant otter was saved during this tragedy. I know that it would be better if Brasília would get a female, but why don't they just give their male to Cotia and get the other two females?
And btw, it seem like there is a very small genetic difference between the populations, what does support that it's a monotypic species. Although there seem to be four different lineages, that should be tried to being kept pure.

Actually, afaik, most of the giant otters in captivity in Brazil (and in many zoos of the world) are provenient from offsprings of Brasília zoo's otters, being these much probably from the lineage of Pteronura brasiliensis paraguaensis (the first individuals were captured in the rural area of Flores de Goiás, DF). This wouldn't make that huge difference though.
Anyway, much probably many specimens were rescued during the pantanal fires as you said, and in other isolated incidents too. I really hope there is a way for them to start contributing to the studbook somehow...
About them belonging to the union, even this being a fact, and considering the ones in SP aquarium have been rescued, the government has authorized the institution to take care and take decisions about the future of the animals, and despite that, the lack of integrative conservation brazilian zoos show when related to the government institutions such as Ibama is another obstacle. I mean, you don't see the government giving the needed attention to ex situ conservation here, and much less interfering in situations between zoological institutions when it is necessary... We saw what happened when it was insisted too much for something that would compromise the profit of a private institution...
About Brasília sending the male to Cotia, they probably won't even consider it unless Cotia gets in the official national studbook. In case this happens, I don't think Brasília would consider interesting to send their male, but maybe negotiate with Americana zoo to send one of their males to Cotia, in exchange of another determinated species to be given to Americana; Cotia would then send a female to Brasília. This way we would have two zoos with possibility of breeding, and more chances to keep developing the studbook. The problem is that private zoos in the country (and some public ones too) have been enjoying keeping many species outside of any official conservation program lately, wich disturbs even more the weak integration our zoological institutions have, as it impedes these kind of exchanges I've just mentioned...

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

The problem is that private zoos in the country (and some public ones too) have been enjoying keeping many species outside of any official conservation program lately, wich disturbs even more the weak integration our zoological institutions have, as it impedes these kind of exchanges I've just mentioned...

Yep, I totally agree with you David and you really articulated that point very well, it is a challenge to integration and developing cohesive ex-situ conservation programes.

 

[David Matos Mendes]

Yep, I totally agree with you David and you really articulated that point very well, it is a challenge to integration and developing cohesive ex-situ conservation programes.

Thanks! I've been noticing lately that this lack of integration between our zoos and also between the zoos and the government is one of the biggest problems the brazilian zoological institutions face... There are quite a bunch of well structured zoos here that, due to the lack of this cooperation, don't get a good rank in the list of good zoos in the country, and they have a lot of pottential... considerably good exhibits, but no effective conservation at all...

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Thanks! I've been noticing lately that this lack of integration between our zoos and also between the zoos and the government is one of the biggest problems the brazilian zoological institutions face... There are quite a bunch of well structured zoos here that, due to the lack of this cooperation, don't get a good rank in the list of good zoos in the country, and they have a lot of pottential... considerably good exhibits, but no effective conservation at all...

Well at the moment there is a severe lack of integration of everything with the government including reality, lol , but hopefully (fingers crossed) there will be a new government / administration in 2022.

Cooperation between zoos is a big problem but it is one that AZAB has really tried to address but there are zoos which just do not want to cooperate for the sake of conservation or to be part of something bigger than their own narrow self interest (to be honest though the same happens in Europe with zoos and EAZA and in the USA with zoos and AZA).

Remember that conversation us and Enzo had on the other thread about privatization of zoos ?

This is really another one of the problems that arises with the privatization of institutions like zoos, the atomization of conservation programes and interinstiutional collaboration.

 

[FelipeDBKO]

Maybe it's another news I've missed, but what exactly is it that sticks together conservation programs such as Zooparque Itatiba's brazilian mergansers and Parque das Aves's Alagoas curassows with Rio and São Paulo Zoos african megafauna collection, in the sense that all of those are exceptions to their own rules? The freedom to take the reproductive value alway from individuals of an endagered species as São Paulo Aquarium seems to be doing with the giant otter, since the individuals would likely be able to breed only if they had arrived at a different institution? Insecurity about what might happen with the foundation's backstage, such as that involving São Paulo Zoo's privatization? Are any of those issues inseparable from private zoos, or absent from public ones?

Not that I have a formulated opinion regarding private x public zoos. My difficulty to understand politics plus my cautiouness not to automatically support views that feel right at first (e.g. "zoos are bad", a classic one ) makes it so that I hardly stick to one.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Maybe it's another news I've missed, but what exactly is it that sticks together conservation programs such as Zooparque Itatiba's brazilian mergansers and Parque das Aves's Alagoas curassows with Rio and São Paulo Zoos african megafauna collection, in the sense that all of those are exceptions to their own rules? The freedom to take the reproductive value alway from individuals of an endagered species as São Paulo Aquarium seems to be doing with the giant otter, since the individuals would likely be able to breed only if they had arrived at a different institution? Insecurity about what might happen with the foundation's backstage, such as that involving São Paulo Zoo's privatization? Are any of those issues inseparable from private zoos, or absent from public ones?

Not that I have a formulated opinion regarding private x public zoos. My difficulty to understand politics plus my cautiouness not to automatically support views that feel right at first (e.g. "zoos are bad", a classic one ) makes it so that I hardly stick to one.

Well the Parque das Aves programe with the Alagoas currasow is not really a very good example as that particular institution has shared individuals of this species with other institutions in order to form an adequate insurance population.

The Zoo Itatiba example you give of the Brazilian mergansers I do not know enough about to give an informed opinion on.

On the surface their breeding record with the merganser and seeming dedication to the ex-situ conservation of the species is noteworthy and laudable but I do question why birds have not been sent to other institutions to build up a decent insurance population.

Yes, I see your point, it is a nuanced issue and privatization does not necessarily entail that conservation programes will be scrapped or impeded and it is also true that public institutions are not necessarily immune from these problems either.

However, privatized institutions / zoos as far as I can see are far far more likely / disposed towards shrugging off or downplaying collaborative efforts such as ex-situ conservation for several reasons.

Privatized organizations are typically run with a profit driven and commercial ethos rather than one that is based / rooted on public service / collective goods, there is always a tension between private-public collaboration, the oversight of a higher outside authority may be rejected without any great consequences and zoos are not actually too profitable so conservation programmes can be seen as "burdens" / "externalities" that can be cut to streamline costs.

 

[David Matos Mendes]

Maybe it's another news I've missed, but what exactly is it that sticks together conservation programs such as Zooparque Itatiba's brazilian mergansers and Parque das Aves's Alagoas curassows with Rio and São Paulo Zoos african megafauna collection, in the sense that all of those are exceptions to their own rules? The freedom to take the reproductive value alway from individuals of an endagered species as São Paulo Aquarium seems to be doing with the giant otter, since the individuals would likely be able to breed only if they had arrived at a different institution? Insecurity about what might happen with the foundation's backstage, such as that involving São Paulo Zoo's privatization? Are any of those issues inseparable from private zoos, or absent from public ones?

Not that I have a formulated opinion regarding private x public zoos. My difficulty to understand politics plus my cautiouness not to automatically support views that feel right at first (e.g. "zoos are bad", a classic one ) makes it so that I hardly stick to one.

Agree with @Onychorhynchus coronatus when mentioning Parque das Aves curassows, as the individuals of the species that nowadays live in BH probably came from there.

I also totally agree with you about condening privatizations without further research, and I think the comparison you did with the shallow hate some people show for zoos was pretty accurate. It's more or less the same kind of thought.

I also agree with what @Onychorhynchus coronatus has exposed about the motives that might make a private institution less conducive to efectivate conservation much less than public institutions. IMO, only time will tell us if the companies that are assuming the country's major public zoos (Rio, São Paulo and BH, wich might become private in some months) will manage well their profit objectives with the needed conservation works. It's no secret they will have money as a priority, but I just hope that they manage it well to not give their focus entirely on it... Let's see what waits for us...

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Agree with @Onychorhynchus coronatus when mentioning Parque das Aves curassows, as the individuals of the species that nowadays live in BH probably came from there.

I also totally agree with you about condening privatizations without further research, and I think the comparison you did with the shallow hate some people show for zoos was pretty accurate. It's more or less the same kind of thought.

I also agree with what @Onychorhynchus coronatus has exposed about the motives that might make a private institution less conducive to efectivate conservation much less than public institutions. IMO, only time will tell us if the companies that are assuming the country's major public zoos (Rio, São Paulo and BH, wich might become private in some months) will manage well their profit objectives with the needed conservation works. It's no secret they will have money as a priority, but I just hope that they manage it well to not give their focus entirely on it... Let's see what waits for us...

The SP aquarium is really for me the ultimate embodiment of what privatization brings to a zoo in terms of being profit driven and commercialized and in literally having no impact on ex-situ or in-situ conservation so I really hope that Rio, SP and BH (I don't think they really would to the extent of the aquariym though) don't follow suit or at least manage the transition well.

 

[David Matos Mendes]

The SP aquarium is really for me the ultimate embodiment of what privatization brings to a zoo in terms of being profit driven and commercialized and in literally having no impact on ex-situ or in-situ conservation so I really hope that Rio, SP and BH (I don't think they really would to the extent of the aquariym though) don't follow suit or at least manage the transition well.

Yes, I really agree with you. SP aquarium is the perfect example of this conduct we are afraid of...
I also hope these major zoos of the country don't follow this way. It's worrisome that three of the country's largest zoos (maybe THE three largest ones) have a considerably uncertain future... Afaik, the same company that acquired Rio zoo is the most likely to acquire BH zoo as well...

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Yes, I really agree with you. SP aquarium is the perfect example of this conduct we are afraid of...
I also hope these major zoos of the country don't follow this way. It's worrisome that three of the country's largest zoos (maybe THE three largest ones) have a considerably uncertain future... Afaik, the same company that acquired Rio zoo is the most likely to acquire BH zoo as well...

I don't think that these zoos would go completely the way of SP aquarium as there would be a massive kickback from the people in these institutions who do care about conservation, have devoted their careers / lives to it and who are not corrupt (this is already going on).

In order for these institutions to adopt a fully commercial profit-driven character they would have to completely purge them of the old staff members and have a complete staff turnover which would be difficult to implement.

That said, we do live in extreme times in Brazil and the purging / mass sacking of staff to meet the insane neoliberal ideological dogma of the "emperor with no clothes" is happening across the board so it isn't exactly an implausible scenario either.

As I said before lets hope (fingers crossed) that in 2022 a new administration is voted in.