Plan for Rusti stalls again

By Johnny Brannon
Advertiser Staff Writer

Four months after Mayor Jeremy Harris and a private foundation announced with great fanfare that a state-of-the-art enclosure would be built at the Honolulu Zoo for Rusti the orangutan, the project remains trapped in dispute.

Rusti the orangutan has lived in a temporary Honolulu Zoo cage for seven years. Efforts to create a permanent home are still stalled. Advertiser library photo

In the meantime, the hairy orange creature with piercing black eyes remains locked in a small cage that fails to meet modern zoo standards, though it's hard to tell whether he's bothered by the indignity.

Rusti has lived in the cage on a "temporary" basis for seven years. And if the latest problems can't be worked out, he may remain there, city managing director Ben Lee said.

"Whether Rusti stays or not is not up to the council, because Rusti can stay at the existing cage, and admittedly that's not the best environment," said Lee, who asked the council to delay the vote while negotiations continue.

At issue are the cost of the new habitat, a written agreement specifying that the zoo would have final say over Rusti's care, and an assurance that the deal wouldn't jeopardize the zoo's accreditation with a national zoo association.

The Orangutan Foundation International agreed to spend $200,000 on the new cage, but Lee said the latest design estimates put the cost at $450,000.

The City Council is pressing for a contract requiring the foundation to pay all construction costs, but it's unclear whether the group will agree to spend more.

Lee said he wants to review the plans closely to see whether costs can be reduced.

"I don't think OFI can just agree to a blank check," he said. "What if this facility costs $600,000? We can't allow it to escalate to those kinds of costs, so we need to nail it down with the architect and OFI."

Foundation board member Steve Karbank, who has overseen negotiations for the group, did not return calls over several days. But Lee said it may be possible to cut costs.

"We're only talking about a fence, and maybe a simple enclosure for the orangutan to go in during inclement weather, and for feeding and bathroom activities," Lee said.

"We need to do some of what we call value-engineering. I am hopeful that we can work it out."

The agreement over control of Rusti's care, which officials say is required to protect the zoo's standards, is also a big sticking point.

"Without that control, we can't get our zoo accredited," Councilwoman Barbara Marshall said when the vote was postponed June 4. "That becomes the bottom-line issue. In the meantime, that animal is just sitting there, as it has been for seven years, as its owners made various promises to the community."

Parks Committee chairman Mike Gabbard said the council, administration and foundation had agreed last month on a set of conditions that would allow the project to move forward quickly, but that details must still be worked out.

"My hope is that all parties will live up to the agreement we reached in May and that Rusti will have a new home soon," he said.

An earlier plan called for Rusti to live in a sanctuary with up to 20 orangutans on the Big Island, but it was never built. Hawai'i County and the foundation couldn't reach a final agreement on the project, and a state grant dissolved amid the dispute.

Rusti was later headed for a special cage at Kualoa Ranch in Windward O'ahu. But the ranch dropped the plan amid opposition from animal-rights activists who wanted Rusti sent to a Mainland sanctuary.

Reach Johnny Brannon at jbrannon@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8070.