The Giant Otter Project is a conservation effort led by Peruvian National Parks authority, SERNANP. The project was created to support the protection of giant otters and their habitats within Peru’s Manu National Park.
Giant otters are an endangered species that appear exclusively in South America near freshwater rivers and streams. They live in family groups called ‘holts’ and feed mainly on fish but also eat crabs, frogs, snakes and turtles.
Giant otters are an endangered species due to a variety of human-related threats. The most prominent threat is habitat destruction. The giant otter’s natural habitats have been degraded and destroyed by deforestation, pollution, and other activities associated with human development. Overfishing is another major issue, as it reduces the availability of fish for food sources. In addition, they are also victims of poaching for their fur or meat in some areas. As these threats continue to increase, so does the risk that this species will become extinct unless something changes soon.
In order to protect these animals from further decline, SERNANP has established several monitoring programs throughout its national parks. These programs include Manu National Park, which covers 1.5 million hectares across three regions of Peru: Madre de Dios, Cusco y Ucayali.
The Manu National Park holds some of the most diverse ecosystems on earth. It includes forests home to some 1250 species of birds. It also is one of four protected areas along the Amazon River basin known as megaparks or mega-reserves. These mega-reserves encompass more than 15 million hectares across Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru combined. The others three mega-reservers are Tambopata-Candamo Reserved Zone, Yasuní Biosphere Reserve, and Amacayacu National Park.
First and foremost, SERNANP has established a protected zone of over 1 million hectares in the Manu National Park. This area has allowed the giant otters to live undisturbed by civilization. The protection measures include a ban on fishing and hunting activities within the zone, as well as restrictions on tourism that could disturb these sensitive creatures.
In addition, SERNANP has implemented monitoring programs to track population numbers of giant otters. These programs also monitor giant otters’ behavior patterns, health status, and overall habitat quality. The data collected from these surveys helps inform conservation decisions such as when to increase protections, or when additional resources are needed for research projects.
Finally, SERNANP works with local communities surrounding Manu National Park to ensure they understand why it is important to protect this species. Local communities also help with conservation efforts through sustainable practices like ecotourism, or avoiding certain development activities near rivers where these animals live.
Overall thanks largely due contributions made by SERNANP, it’s safe to say that today we’re much closer achieving our goal of protecting giant otter populations into perpetuity within Manu National Park!
