Giant Otters (Pteronura braziliensis) at Den<br />
PHOTOGRAPHED IN:Pantanal. Largest contiguous wetland system in the world. Mato Grosso do Sur Province. BRAZIL.  South America. RANGE: All countries of South America except chile, Argentina and Uruguay.<br />
CITES 1 animals. Top predators. +- 1.80 meters / 5.9ft long. 30Kgs / 66 pds.  They are the rarest otter. They have disappeared over much of their former range as a result of pelt hunting . Over 20,000 skins were exported from Brazil alone in the 1960's. Otter hunting banned in the 1970's but now it is habitat distruction which threatens this species.