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Daily Read: Wildlife

Drone Delivers Food to Stranded Florida Chimp

A chimpanzee named Kaleb was trapped on a small island in the Save the Chimps sanctuary near Fort Pierce, Florida, after heavy rains flooded the 150‑acre property and cut off access by road. The sanctuary’s staff, unable to reach him with conventional vehicles, used a delivery drone to bring him food and blankets. The drone carried a paper bag of bananas and other provisions, which Kaleb happily retrieved from the air. Facilities director Mark Yohannan said the chimpanzees continue to receive bananas and oranges on time, and no animals missed a meal. Sanctuary CEO Ana Paula Tavares praised the caregivers’ ingenuity and noted Kaleb’s apparent gratitude. All animals at the sanctuary remained safe during the flooding, and water levels receded by Saturday. The incident highlights the sanctuary’s commitment to animal welfare and its ability to adapt to emergencies.

· Sunny Skyz

The essential points

  1. 01Kaleb, a 38‑year‑old chimp, was stranded on an island after Florida floods cut off road access to Save the Chimps sanctuary.
  2. 02Staff deployed a delivery drone to transport food and blankets directly to the isolated animal.
  3. 03The chimp happily retrieved bananas from a paper bag dropped from the drone, showing visible gratitude.
  4. 04All sanctuary animals survived the flooding, and water levels had receded by Saturday.
The full brief

A chimpanzee named Kaleb was trapped on a small island in the Save the Chimps sanctuary near Fort Pierce, Florida, after heavy rains flooded the 150‑acre property and cut off access by road. The sanctuary’s staff, unable to reach him with conventional vehicles, used a delivery drone to bring him food and blankets. The drone carried a paper bag of bananas and other provisions, which Kaleb happily retrieved from the air.

Facilities director Mark Yohannan said the chimpanzees continue to receive bananas and oranges on time, and no animals missed a meal. Sanctuary CEO Ana Paula Tavares praised the caregivers’ ingenuity and noted Kaleb’s apparent gratitude. All animals at the sanctuary remained safe during the flooding, and water levels receded by Saturday.

The incident highlights the sanctuary’s commitment to animal welfare and its ability to adapt to emergencies.