The river has been tested for populations of giant otter.

The giant otter is a highly social animal and lives in extended family groups.

Adult giant otters have no serious natural enemies, beyond humans.

The giant otter is very sensitive to human activity when rearing its young.

The giant otter has a handful of other names.

The giant otter's hearing is acute and its sense of smell excellent.

A capacity for aggressive behavior should not be overstated with the giant otter.

The giant otter is diurnal, being active exclusively during daylight hours.

As human activity expands, giant otter home ranges become increasingly isolated.

The longest documented giant otter lifespan in the wild is eight years.

The giant otter seems to be opportunistic, taking whatever species are most locally abundant.

Even if without direct predation, the giant otter must still compete with other predators for food resources.

The giant otter has lost as much as 80% of its South American range.

While still present in a number of north-central countries, giant otter populations are under considerable stress.

Giant otters clear significant amounts of vegetation in constructing their campsites.

Pieter and I watched as giant otters languidly slipped into the water.

Unusually for a mustelid, the giant otter is a social species, with family groups typically supporting three to eight members.

The giant otter is large, gregarious, and diurnal (active through the day).

The giant otter is an especially noisy animal, with a complex repertoire of vocalizations.

Other threats to the giant otter include conflict with fishermen, who often view the species as a nuisance (see below).

Throughout its range, the giant otter interacts with indigenous groups, who often practice traditional hunting and fishing.

The head design of capybara and giant otter suits Amazon River life.

Over the years, there have always been various orphaned creatures living at Karanambu, including more than 40 giant otters.

The only breeding giant otters in North America.

The giant otter seems to prefer prey fish that are generally immobile on river bottoms in clear water.

The Amazon and its tributaries are the main habitat of the giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis).

The giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) is a South American carnivorous mammal.

ARKive - images and movies of the giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis)

Giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis)

The giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) inhabits South America, especially the Amazon river basin, but is becoming increasingly rare due to poaching, habitat loss, and the use of mercury and other toxins in illegal alluvial gold mining.