Council postpones vote on ape's home

By Johnny Brannon
Advertiser Staff Writer

The City Council will take at least one more month to decide Rusti the orangutan's future at the Honolulu Zoo.

Rusti's owners, the Orangutan Foundation International, want to build a new enclosure for him so he can stay at the zoo permanently after years in a "temporary" cage that's too small by modern zoo standards.

But council members want to make sure the city isn't solely liable for any misbehavior by the popular ape, or any problems caused by his handlers. Rusti could be moved to California or Florida if the issue isn't resolved.

The council's Parks Committee was scheduled to vote on the foundation's offer next Tuesday but postponed the meeting until April 27 while negotiations go on.

"I'm continuing to attempt to resolve the issue so we can get Rusti in his new quarters as soon as possible," committee chairman Mike Gabbard said.

Legal details of the foundation's proposal have not changed, but it's too soon to say whether Rusti's departure is imminent, said the group's attorney, Sherry Broder. "We'd like very much to build the enclosure and be able to move Rusti there, and I hope things will work out."

Some council members say the liability issue is a potential deal-breaker, in part because the foundation would have keys to Rusti's habitat and authority to choose his caretaker.

A gorilla rampage at a Texas zoo last week has added fuel to the debate. Police shot and killed Jabari, a 300-pound male gorilla at the Dallas Zoo, after he injured four people and charged at officers.

Broder said Rusti shouldn't be unduly feared because of the Dallas incident and that it's not clear who was at fault there. Officials there say a witness reported that teenage boys were throwing rocks at Jabari shortly before he escaped.

Rusti's new enclosure would be constructed with safety in mind, Broder said.

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