Heavy rainfall in Florida trapped a 38-year-old chimpanzee named Kaleb on an isolated outdoor island at the Save the Chimps sanctuary earlier this week, prompting staff to use a drone to deliver bananas and blankets until he could safely cross to higher ground, UOL Notícias reported.
The severe weather struck between Sunday, November 1, and Tuesday, November 3. Rising water caused nearby canals to overflow, completely flooding the internal access roads that caretakers normally rely on to distribute meals across the 61-hectare property near Fort Pierce.
Logistical Strain at the Fort Pierce Sanctuary
Mark Yohannan, the facilities director at Save the Chimps, explained that staff initially deployed an amphibious vehicle designed specifically for flooded terrain to reach the animal enclosures. That vehicle quickly broke down, forcing workers to rely on heavy-duty trucks and a tractor to haul food, medicine, and essential supplies through the standing water.
The facility houses approximately 200 chimpanzees and distributes 1,361 kilograms of food daily. Veterinarians and support staff spent multiple nights on site to monitor the animals closely. Ana Paula Tavares, the executive director, confirmed that the main animal housing structures were successfully built on elevated ground to withstand such severe weather events.
| Sanctuary Metric | Operational Figure |
|---|---|
| Total Property Size | 61 hectares |
| Chimpanzee Population | 200 animals |
| Daily Food Distribution | 1,361 kilograms |
| Historical Rescue Total | Nearly 350 chimpanzees (since 1997) |
Caretakers Deliver Supplies by Drone to Stranded Kaleb
While the internal roads remained submerged, caretakers operated a drone to drop paper bags containing bananas and blankets directly to Kaleb, ensuring he had provisions while stranded on the outdoor island. Footage from the sanctuary captured Kaleb retrieving a banana from a delivered package and eventually crossing a secure rope stretched over the accumulated water to reach an accessible area.
By Saturday, November 7, floodwaters had receded significantly. Yohannan noted that approximately 20 percent of the property’s internal roads were clear and dry by that afternoon, allowing normal logistics to gradually resume across the sanctuary, which has rescued nearly 350 chimpanzees from research laboratories, the pet trade, and the entertainment industry since its founding in 1997.
