To Breed or Not to Breed?: Animal Breeding Programmes and Human Habits clash
- Amber van Kempen
- Jun 19
- 4 min read
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Listen to the sound of an otter here:
With the number of wild Asian small-clawed otters and giant otters still declining, two Dutch zoo’s, Aquazoo in Friesland and Wildlands in Emmen, have announced that their otter couples have added to the populations. Friesland is now home to three giant otters, which is one of the breeds classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (ICUN).
Following re-introduction efforts, wild mustelids (the mammal family otters belong to) are starting to spread throughout Europe once again. However, wild otter breeds, like the giant otter, are still affected by human habits.
Poaching, once a major issue due to demand for pelts, has decreased thanks to legal protections. Though, the giant otters are still endangered, and their numbers continue to fall. The greatest threat they face is habitat loss from humans encroaching on their riverine habitats. Boat traffic, noise pollution, and habitat fragmentation, disrupts the otters’ ability to hunt, communicate, and raise their young.
Pollution
Otters need large clean fish-rich territories as they consume up to 4kg of fish a day. But fish stocks are depleting. The giant otter, native to South America, is affected by rampant deforestation, mining, agricultural runoff, and urban waste are polluting the rivers. Because of this, their numbers remain low and continue to decrease. Without sufficient food, groups may fragment, breeding rates may drop, and pups may not survive.
Mercury contamination from illegal gold mining is a particularly deadly threat, affecting both the fish the otters eat and the otters themselves through bioaccumulation. This means that the food the fish consume is toxic which in turn makes the fish themselves toxic to the otters.
In the Netherlands, the number of otters decreased significantly after 1962 due to a combination of factors. Namely humans encroaching in on their habitat and the harsh winters. Additionally, otters died due to fishing nets and traffic. What's more is that, in this part of the world, the food chain became toxic as well which weakened the otters and hindered the possibility of a successful pregnancy.
Breeding programmes
Due to population decline, zoos partake in breeding programmes that align with EEP (European Association of Zoo’s and Aquariums) to prevent animal populations from declining too rapidly and going extinct. The goal of these programmes is to preserve and improve the genetic diversity of endangered animals.
Biologist Anke van Rijk says that she approves of the programmes. If it wasn't for them, we wouldn't have otters in the Netherlands at all," says Van Rijk. "But, sadly it's a necessary evil. If it weren't for humans disturbing their habitat and causing the low numbers in the first place, breeding programmes wouldn't be needed, " says biologist Anke van Rijk.
Van Rijk understands the arguments made for keeping animals in zoos and having them only roam around freely. "On the one hand it is good that people can learn about them, on the other hand, the animals should be allowed to interact with other animals and lead a normal life outside of captivity."
Though, we have to live with the consequences of our own actions. If we want to see all the animals out in the wild again one day, we must take care and ensure their future together. "Not going to zoos financially disables them to properly take care of the animals and keep populations thriving," says Van Rijk.
However, even as breeding programmes offer a lifeline, growing public unease over keeping animals in captivity raises difficult questions about the future of conservation. The debate regarding the keeping of animals and the ethics of zoos becomes increasingly more heated with people saying animals should not be kept in enclosures but rather they should be outside in the wild.
Watch what we found out about the otter here:
Conservation
Staatsbosbeheer was approached for a crash course on otter spotting and conservation. However, they couldn't due to the fact the beginning of summer is peak wild otter monitoring season. This indicates that, at least for the wild otters, the populations could be doing very good in the Netherlands.
During the 1980's Hortus Botanicus in Haren became home to Adam and Lisa, the first European otters in the Netherlands. The success they had in proving that their kind can survive in this country played an important role in the population numbers in the wild today.
After the first release in 2002, it took another five years to have more otters in the wild than were first released. The growth of the population is not only thanks to the conditions the animals were released in, meaning hunting them for their fur had become illegal, but also the fact that the otter felt safe enough and stayed healthy enough to procreate.
The study of the otters by the biology faculty at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen allowed for the growth of knowledge that we have of their nature. Given the success that the European otter has found through living in a sanctuary where the habitat conditions were optimal, can serve as an argument towards the need to keep breeding programmes and zoos alive.
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