River otters are highly active, social aquatic mammals whose welfare in zoo settings requires careful environmental and social management.
River otter welfare in zoo settings depends on the quality and size of the aquatic environment. These are animals whose entire evolutionary history is defined by aquatic foraging across extensive river systems — the quality of their swimming and foraging experience in captivity determines the quality of their welfare. Pools that are too small for meaningful swimming, too shallow for natural diving behavior, or too barren to support foraging-like activity produce otters with inadequate behavioral engagement and potentially stereotypic pool-edge pacing. The most welfare-positive otter exhibits are those that create complex aquatic environments where otters can hunt introduced live fish, explore varied substrates, and engage in social play throughout the day.