Rusti The Orangutan
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| Rusti has been a temporary visitor at
the Honolulu Zoo since 1997. After a complicated rescue from a substandard private facility
on the mainland, he was given to Orangutan Foundation International (OFI). OFI
was founded by Dr. Birute Galdikas, the pioneering primatologist, who studied
orangutans in their natural environment in remote Borneo and gradually
established a home base, Camp Leaky, for many rescued orphans.
OFI spent several years exploring different options for a permanent home for Rusti. In February 2004 the Mayor of Honolulu announced an agreement with the City and OFI that would allow Rusti to stay at the Honolulu Zoo. In August 2004 the Honolulu City Council approved building a new exhibit for Rusti and making him a permanent resident of the Zoo, who will be responsible for his care. In May 2005 the City Council voted to shift responsibility for building Rusti's new home from OFI to the Honolulu Zoo Society. As a result, management of the construction project was handled by the Zoo Society. Through a combination of funding sources, donated services and materials, and volunteer help the construction is now completed. Major funding for Rusti's new exhibit was provided by the Honolulu Zoo Society, OFI, the Hawaii based non-profit Chelsey Foundation, the Rose Helen Vincent estate, and Sharon E. Geary. The City has been an active partner in managing the construction and is covering the cost of landscaping. The new enclosure is behind the reptile house just beyond the African spurred tortoise exhibit. The photos below were taken weekly starting in July 2005 and running through January 2006 and showing the construction progress. On October 2 & 8 a volunteer work force converged on Rusti's enclosure to paint the fence and night quarters. There were nearly 50 volunteers divided between morning and afternoon shifts on each day. Rusti is now sharing the new enclosure with a new female companion. Her name is Violet, and like Rusti she is a mixed breed orangutan. She came from the San Diego Zoo and arrived in early December of 2005. After 30 days in quarantine, Rusti joined her in the new exhibit. When Rusti was released into the new day quarters, he seemed a little shocked to see another orangutan for the first time in over 15 years. It took very little time for everything to become remarkably compatible between them. Finally, after many years in a roadside zoo on the mainland and nine years of uncertainty in a "temporary" old style exhibit at the Honolulu Zoo, Rusti now has a permanent home 20 times bigger than what he had before. Along with Violet, with whom he is completely enamored, a huge tree and climbing structures, he is finally getting "the good life" he deserves. |
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Mayor Hannemann with Rusti |
One of the many newspaper cartoon's of Rusti |
| December 2004: The long-awaited home for Rusti the
orangutan moved one step closer to completion with the groundbreaking at
the site of his planned new enclosure. The occasion was marked with
speeches from Zoo Director Ken Redman, Orangutan Foundation International
(OFI) Director Dr. Birute Galdikas and the previous City Managing Director Ben Lee.
Funds for Rusti's enclosure have come from the Orangutan Foundation International (OFI), the Chelsey Foundation from the Big Island, the Rose Helen Vincent Foundation and an anonymous donor from Oahu. Rusti is 24 years old and for more than half his life has not had a tree to climb. The new exhibit will be substantially larger than his previous enclosures and include a large tree and other climbing structures for him to enjoy. News Story: |
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