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Giant otters
Project profile

Giant otters

Study species: Giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis)

Project location: Peru’s Manu National Park and Madre de Dios river

Species fact: Giant otters are the largest otter species in the world. Adults can weigh up to 30 kilograms and reach a length of 6 feet.

Problem: Human activities, particularly small-scale gold mining, are causing the destruction of the aquatic habitats inhabited by giant otters and a decrease in the quantities of fish giant otters depend on. 



Goal 1

Surveying protected and disturbed areas for otter presence and habitat destruction to examine the effects of gold mining on giant otter distribution and abundance.


Goal 2

Quantifying fish availability and mercury contamination to understand how human activities can affect giant otters.

Community Goal 3 Adi Barocas Giant otter project by David Torres

Goal 3

Working with local communities to understand their perceptions towards giant otters and aquatic ecosystems and developing environmental education programs.

What your donation can achieve


Could buy the team a GPS device to record all the giant otter locations; a cooking tent for field team’s campsite; a tablet for recording interview answers; or a solar panel for charging electronic devices.


Could get the team a device that will examine water quality; 250 gallons of fuel for a month-long field trip; a satellite communication device; or a mobile freezer to store samples.


Could get the team a rubber boat to increase the number of lakes it can visit each day; a video camera to document giant otter behaviour; a generator to charge cameras and batteries; a drone to map lakes.


Could get the project’s aluminum boat which allows transportation among oxbow lakes; or a boat engine.


Let's keep in touch...


People's Trust For Endangered Species



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