The first Giant
Otter to be born in all of Asia arrived at River Safari, part of Wildlife Reserve Singapore, on August
10.   River Safari is the only zoo in Asia to hold Giant Otters, which are among the most endangered Otters in the world.

Photo Credit:   Wildlife Reserves Singapore

The unnamed
male pup now weighs about 3.5 pounds (1.6kg) and is about two feet long (60cm).
While the pup is petite for now, he will eventually weigh 75 pounds (34kg) and
grow to six feet (1.8m) in length.  River
Safari is the first zoological institution in Asia to feature Giant Otters,
which are the largest of the world’s 13 Otter species.

Found primarily in South America’s Amazon River basin, Giant
Otters are ferocious predators that hunt piranhas, anacondas and even caimans,
earning them the title “river wolves.” Often hunted for their fur and threatened by habitat
loss, these river giants are becoming rare in the wild.

Dr. Cheng
Wen-Haur, Chief Life Sciences Officer at Wildlife Reserves Singapore said, “With
increasing threats such as habitat destruction and poaching, captive breeding
programs play a pivotal role in conserving threatened species for our future
generations.”