A chimpanzee named Kaleb with a bag of food delivered to him by a drone amid flooding at the Save the Chimps sanctuary near Fort Pierce, Fla., Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026.
(Save the Chimps via AP)
A Florida chimpanzee sanctuary faced challenges when the property was swamped by heavy rain this week. One chimp, a 38-year-old named Kaleb, was fed by a drone.
Weather worries
Rainstorms soaked Southeast and Central Florida from Sunday through Tuesday. And Save the Chimps’ care houses were secure on high ground, according to CEO Ana Paula Tavares.
Some veterinarians and other employees even stayed overnight on the 150-acre property near Fort Pierce to ensure the animals’ care.
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(MORE: Deadly floods hit Florida’s Space Coast amid heavy rainfall)
But canals overflowed and submerged the internal roads that normally are used to deliver 3,000 pounds of chimp food per day via golf carts, Facilities Director Mark Yohannan said. And a high-clearance swamp buggy helped but soon broke down.
Kaleb the chimp
Kaleb, one of Save the Chimps’ 200 apes, was in an outdoor area that was cut off by water.
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Luckily, the organization purchased a delivery drone for an emergency just like this, Yohannan said. Staffers used it to bring Kaleb food and blankets until he decided on his own to head for somewhere more accessible.
(MORE: Drones deliver flood aid)
Save the Chimps captured video of Kaleb munching a banana he plucked from a drone-dropped paper bag and later steadily picking his way across a rope that bridged some standing water.
The organization used trucks — including a maintenance worker’s personal vehicle — and a tractor to deliver meals, medicine and other items to the rest of the apes.
The animals are all safe, and the water finally was receding significantly on Saturday, the organization said.
“Chimps are getting all their food, bananas and oranges on time,” Yohannan said. “They’re good. They haven’t missed a beat.”
Nor have the local alligators. A small one turned up by the sanctuary’s kitchen Friday, apparently using the floodwaters to reach terrain where the reptiles don’t usually tread, Yohannan said.
The road ahead
The water level dropped noticeably overnight Friday, and about 20% of the property’s roads were clear Saturday, Yohannan said.
(MORE: You’ve seen the flood video all over the US; here’s what’s happening)
Widespread flooding in the area has made it difficult for employees to get to work to relieve their colleagues. But “everyone’s in excellent spirits, tired as they are,” he said.
The organization is appealing to the public for help fixing damaged buildings and equipment, and one donor has agreed to match such contributions.
Save the Chimps was founded in 1997. To date, it has cared for nearly 350 chimps from research laboratories, the pet trade and the entertainment industry.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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