Florida sanctuary uses drone to feed stranded chimpanzee during floods
Staff at Save the Chimps delivered food and blankets to a 38-year-old chimp after heavy rain submerged internal roads.
Staff at the Save the Chimps sanctuary near Fort Pierce, Florida, used a drone to deliver food and blankets to a stranded chimpanzee. The animal, a 38-year-old chimp named Kaleb, was left in an outdoor area surrounded by water after heavy rain soaked southeast and central Florida from Sunday through Tuesday, according to the Times of India.
The sanctuary, which houses more than 200 rescued and retired chimpanzees across 150 acres, faced flooded internal roads. While the animals remained in elevated care houses or island habitats, the overflowing canals prevented staff from using golf carts to deliver the roughly 3,000 pounds of food required daily.
Caregivers used a drone previously purchased for emergencies to send bananas and blankets to Kaleb. Video from the sanctuary showed the chimpanzee picking up a banana from a paper bag dropped by the drone before moving across a rope over standing water.
Facilities director Mark Yohannan told WPTV that the chimpanzees are receiving bananas and oranges on time and have not missed a beat. To reach other areas, staff used trucks, a tractor, and a maintenance worker's personal vehicle to deliver medicine and supplies.
By Saturday, water levels had dropped and approximately 20 per cent of the sanctuary's roads were clear again.