Many MindedA drone feeds one stranded chimp when Florida floodwater cuts the roads
Save the Chimps, a sanctuary near Fort Pierce, Florida, used a drone to deliver food and blankets to a single chimpanzee during flooding. Rain fell over southeast and central Florida from Sunday through Tuesday of the week of Nov. 4, 2026. The chimp, a 38-year-old named Kaleb, was stuck in an outdoor area cut off by water. Staff supplied him by drone, which had been bought earlier for this kind of emergency, until he moved to a more accessible spot on his own.
The problem was logistics. The sanctuary houses about 200 chimpanzees on 150 acres, and golf carts normally carry about 3,000 pounds (1,361 kg) of chimp food a day along internal roads. Overflowing canals submerged those roads. A high-clearance swamp buggy was tried but broke down soon after. Other chimps received meals, medicine and supplies by truck, including a maintenance worker's personal vehicle, and by tractor. The care houses sit on high ground and stayed secure, and the chimps were safe. Some veterinarians and staff stayed overnight.
Why it matters for abundance: reliable food depends on the last stretch of delivery as much as on supply. A cheap drone bought in advance gave this sanctuary a way to keep one animal fed when ordinary vehicles could not get through. That is a small-scale example of resilience in food access during a disaster.
Water dropped noticeably overnight Friday, and about 20% of roads were clear on Saturday. Flooding also made it hard for employees to reach work and relieve colleagues. The sanctuary is asking for donations to repair buildings and equipment, and one donor will match gifts. Accounts come from CEO Ana Paula Tavares and facilities director Mark Yohannan, and this was one chimp, not a large-scale test.
Source: Phys.org