See It: Flooded Florida sanctuary uses drones to send food to stranded chimpanzees days after historic storms

THE TAKEAWAY

• A 150-acre chimpanzee sanctuary successful Fort Pierce, Florida, remains flooded days aft historical storms.
• Workers astatine the Save the Chimps sanctuary utilized drones to present nutrient and blankets to the chimps.
• The sanctuary says each the chimpanzees unrecorded successful elevated attraction houses and are safe, but the installation remains lone accessible by ample high-water vehicles.

FORT PIERCE, Fla. — A 150-acre chimpanzee sanctuary successful Fort Pierce, Florida, remains flooded days aft a stalled upwind signifier dropped grounds rainfall crossed parts of the Space Coast this past Sunday and Monday.

PHOTOS: POWERFUL CROSS-COUNTRY STORM LEAVES TRAIL OF DEADLY DESTRUCTION AFTER WEEK OF HISTORIC FLOODING

Video changeable connected Nov. 4 shows workers astatine the Save the Chimps sanctuary delivering nutrient and blankets to the chimps by drone. The sanctuary says each the chimpanzees unrecorded successful elevated attraction houses and are safe, but the installation remains lone accessible by ample high-water vehicles.

HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER

Another video from the installation showed 1 chimp utilizing a enactment obstruction successful its situation to navigate floodwaters.

A 150-acre chimpanzee sanctuary successful Fort Pierce, Florida, remains flooded days aft a stalled upwind signifier dropped grounds rainfall crossed parts of the Space Coast opening connected Nov. 1, 2026.

(Save The Chimps / FOX Weather)

Parts of Florida’s Space Coast were slammed by back-to-back 1,000-year rainfall events this past Sunday and Monday that produced deadly flash flooding.

Neighborhoods were wholly inundated successful Melbourne, Port St. Lucie and Palm Bay arsenic roads turned into canals. 

FLORIDA GOVERNOR DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY AS DEADLY FLOODING GRIPS SUNSHINE STATE

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission rescuers beryllium successful an airboat successful the vicinity coordinating rescue operations. 

(@RickAddante/X / FOX Weather)

Areas on the coast, conscionable southbound of Palm Bay, including Valkaria, saw much than 20 inches of rainfall Monday successful conscionable 12 hours, good supra NOAA’s threshold of 15.5 inches successful 12 hours for a 1,000-year rainfall event.

KNOW YOUR FLOOD TERMINOLOGY: WHAT FLOOD WATCHES, WARNINGS AND EMERGENCIES REALLY MEAN

Fort Pierce acceptable a regular rainfall grounds Monday, signaling 5.39 inches of rain. The metropolis tallied 8.36 inches of rainfall from Sunday done Tuesday.

A 150-acre chimpanzee sanctuary successful Fort Pierce, Florida, remains flooded days aft a stalled upwind signifier dropped grounds rainfall crossed parts of the Space Coast opening connected Nov. 1, 2026.

(Save The Chimps / FOX Weather)

Save the Chimps CEO Ana Paula Tavares said an overflowing canal is preventing floodwaters from receding.

"With flood waters stagnant passim the spot and surrounding area, it has been a large situation for our unit to get astatine work, overmuch little transportation retired their responsibilities," Tavares said.

The sanctuary says it is location to implicit 200 rescued chimpanzees who unrecorded successful ample groups connected 12 abstracted 3-acre islands, allowing abstraction for them to roam and socialize.

A 150-acre chimpanzee sanctuary successful Fort Pierce, Florida, remains flooded days aft a stalled upwind signifier dropped grounds rainfall crossed parts of the Space Coast opening connected Nov. 1, 2026.

(Save The Chimps / FOX Weather)

Drone video showed the paths betwixt the islands wholly inundated. Floodwaters person enactment the play carts workers usage to bring nutrient to the animals retired of service, the non-profit said successful a quality release.

Staff are presently utilizing a donated high-water rescue conveyance and pickup trucks to determination nutrient and supplies.

A 150-acre chimpanzee sanctuary successful Fort Pierce, Florida, remains flooded days aft a stalled upwind signifier dropped grounds rainfall crossed parts of the Space Coast opening connected Nov. 1, 2026.

(Save The Chimps / FOX Weather)

According to the release, the sanctuary's manager volition talk astatine the adjacent section h2o territory gathering connected Monday.

A 150-acre chimpanzee sanctuary successful Fort Pierce, Florida, remains flooded days aft a stalled upwind signifier dropped grounds rainfall crossed parts of the Space Coast opening connected Nov. 1, 2026.

(Save The Chimps / FOX Weather)

The sanctuary says it's 1 of the world's largest chimpanzee rescue facilities and supports animals that were antecedently pets, successful probe laboratories, the favored trade, oregon successful the amusement industry.