Orangutan's future remains unsettled
By Johnny Brannon
Advertiser Staff Writer
After months of delay, Rusti the orangutan's new home remains in limbo.
Advertiser library photo
No decision is likely soon on Mayor Jeremy Harris' plan for a private foundation to build the popular ape a $200,000 pen at the Honolulu Zoo, unless several sticky questions are answered.
Rusti the orangutan has been living in temporary quarters at the Honolulu Zoo for seven years as his fate is debated.
The zoo must be sure the arrangement won't jeopardize its accreditation with the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, and city lawyers must clarify whether any fund-raising associated with Rusti on zoo grounds would be allowable, according to City Council parks committee chairman Mike Gabbard.
Committee members had expressed concerns that the city would be solely liable for any damage or injury if Rusti were to escape, and a decision on the new pen was twice postponed. It's unclear when a vote will be taken.
Rusti has lived in an old gorilla cage at the zoo on a "temporary" basis for seven years while his owners, the Orangutan Foundation International, have sought a permanent home for him.
Last month, a top zoo accreditation official warned that the new pen could be inadequate, and that allowing the foundation to choose a keeper for Rusti and participate in his care could violate American Zoo and Aquarium Association requirements.
An attorney who advises the parks committee wrote that the city generally recommends mutual legal protection in partnerships, but that the council should consider whether benefits outweigh concerns in this case.
The city is working to address the accreditation concerns.
Reach Johnny Brannon at jbrannon@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8070.
