FORT PIERCE, Fla. — Save the Chimps, a 150-acre chimpanzee sanctuary in Fort Pierce, is asking the community for help after historic flooding left parts of its property underwater, damaged equipment and disrupted normal operations.
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The sanctuary's more than 200 chimpanzees are safe and continue to receive food, medication, enrichment and other daily care, according to Mark Yohannan, the organization's director of facilities. But Yohannan told WPTV the sanctuary faces a long recovery after receiving 19 inches of rain.
"We've got a long way to go," Yohannan said.
He said it is the worst flooding the sanctuary has experienced in its 25 years in Fort Pierce.
"We're absolutely shut down until we get the water gone," Yohannan said.
Staff adapts to care for chimpanzees
Since Tuesday, Save the Chimps staff members have had to find new ways to reach parts of the flooded sanctuary. Workers have used tractors and trailers to navigate the property and deliver supplies.
Video shared with WPTV shows staff using a drone to drop food to a chimpanzee during the flooding.
Despite the difficult conditions, Yohannan said the chimpanzees have continued receiving their normal care.
"They're doing great. The care staff have been on their game," Yohannan said. "They're getting everything they would get normally: enrichment, all their food, all their medication, blankets. They haven't missed a beat."
Yohannan said some staff members have been unable to get to work because of the flooding, but those who can reach the sanctuary have come together to keep operations moving.
"It's heavy, but it's good heavy," Yohannan said. "Everyone's come together."
Flooding damages vehicles and equipment
The flooding has also taken a toll on equipment used for everyday operations.
Yohannan said nearly 15 golf carts used to transport food, supplies and staff around the 150-acre property have broken down.
"We'd seen the water and we figured, well, no big deal, we'll drive through it, and that became impossible immediately," he said.
Yohannan said the sanctuary is looking for taller four-wheel-drive vehicles that can safely move people and supplies through the property while floodwaters remain.
"We need four-wheel-drive vehicles that are taller that can move supplies and people," Yohannan said.
He said the vehicles could be rented or donated for a short period.
Save the Chimps asks community for help
As the sanctuary works to recover, staff members are preparing to bring their concerns to the St. Lucie County Commission at a meeting next week.
In the meantime, Save the Chimps is asking the community for support, including temporary access to vehicles and financial donations.
"A donation goes a long way," Yohannan said.
Even as employees deal with challenges at the sanctuary, Yohannan acknowledged that some staff members and Treasure Coast residents are facing flooding problems of their own.
"There's a lot of people, including our own staff, that have much bigger problems with this water than we have here," he said. "Nobody brings that with them. They just get together, we get to work. We work on that plan, we execute."
For a sanctuary that has called Fort Pierce home for 25 years, Yohannan said community support could make a meaningful difference as the water recedes and the recovery continues.
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