The giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) is threatened by habitat destruction and persecution throughout most of its range. Several factors have made the giant otter an easy and valuable target for pelt hunters: its size, gregarious nature, daytime activity and tendency to approach intruders. The demands of the fur industry contributed to the animal's decline and its current endangered status.
Today, the giant otter is a flagship conservation species for the Guyana Shield, a geographic region encompassing Guyana, Surinam, and portions of Venezuela and Brazil. Flagship species help to leverage protection not just for their own habitat but also for their entire ecosystem. In protecting a key species such as the giant otter, conservationists benefit a large number of plants and animals.
To help the giant otter in Brazil, the Philadelphia Zoo has supported Dr. Fernando Rosas long-term study of three giant otter groups inhabiting Balbina Lake.
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