Number of giant otter and neotropical otter pelts landed at Manaus port by boats coming from the Rio Negro between 1935 and 1968.

<p>Time series on the left (from late 1930s to early 1950s) represent pelts traded by J.G. Araujo Company and time series on the right (from 1958 to 1968) are pelts traded by various other companies.</p

Bill of sale of hides transported by the boat “Tupana” from São Gabriel da Cachoeira (port of Santa Izabel do Rio Negro) to Manaus by the company J.G. Araujo Ltda. in 1939.

<p>The bill specifies one bundle containing nineteen hides of “ariranha” giant otter (<i>Pteronura brasiliensis</i>) and two hides of “lontra” neotropical otter (<i>Lontra longicaudis</i>); a second bundle containing two hides of “maracajá” generic commercial name for both ocelot (<i>Leopardus pardalis</i>) and margay (<i>L</i>. <i>wiedii</i>), one hide of “veado” red brocket deer (<i>Mazama americana</i>), six hides of “caititu” collared peccaries (<i>Pecari tajacu</i>) and five hides of “queixada” white-lipped peccaries (<i>Tayassu pecari</i>).</p

Baniwa oral histories of commercial hunting activity on the middle Içana during the 20th century international fur trade.

<p>Baniwa oral histories of commercial hunting activity on the middle Içana during the 20th century international fur trade.</p

Hunting effort during the study period.

<p>Left side: price of otter pelts by species (note the quickly rising price for giant otter pelts during the 1960); right side: rural population in Amazonas State.</p

Timeline of historical events.

<p>National, international and regional historical events reconstructed based on ethnographic information and Baniwa oral histories concerning the commercial hunting for the international fur trade in the late 20^th century.</p

Elements of vulnerability. Summary of biological, ecological, economic and cultural aspects of hunting that may have influenced the differential resilience of otters in the aftermath of the commercial hunting for the 20^th century fur trade.

<p>Elements of vulnerability. Summary of biological, ecological, economic and cultural aspects of hunting that may have influenced the differential resilience of otters in the aftermath of the commercial hunting for the 20^th century fur trade.</p

Number of giant otter skins landed at Manaus port between 1935 and 1953 from the municipalities of Moura, Barcelos and Santa Izabel.

<p>Data from cargo manifests of J.G. Araujo Company. Note that Sta. Izabel is the port located highest up along the Negro basin (see <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0193984#pone.0193984.g001" target="_blank">Fig 1</a>).</p

Hunting with matapi fishing trap.

<p>During the heyday of the 20^th century fur trade, Baniwa hunters captured giant otters by placing the <i>matapi</i> trap at the entrance to the den (Illustration by Ramiro Melinski).</p

Estimated percentage harvest change showing the change in modeled harvest for each species between the initial 3-year period and the final 3-year period of exploitation for the two time series.

<p>Estimated percentage harvest change showing the change in modeled harvest for each species between the initial 3-year period and the final 3-year period of exploitation for the two time series.</p

Study area.

<p>Location of Baniwa communities on the middle Rio Içana visited during this study (top), and twentieth century municipal centers along the Rio Negro, Amazonas, Brazil (bottom).</p