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Great Ape Trust emerges stronger after Floods of 2008 test young organization's mettle |
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DES MOINES, IOWA, Jul. 3 -/E-Wire/--
The founder of Great Ape Trust of Iowa says the Floods of 2008 tested the mettle of the organization like no other event in its brief history, but it has emerged stronger than ever.
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"The entire Trust team performed heroically," said Ted Townsend, who announced the now internationally known scientific research institute in 2002. "When ‘our time' came, everyone responded with heartfelt professionalism, personal sacrifice and tireless dedication. I could not be more proud of their effort, values, efficiency and results. This reminder of Mother Nature's supremacy has forged a lasting spirit of unity and bonding throughout our campus. The Trust is stronger than ever."
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Floodwaters have receded enough on Great Ape Trust of Iowa's southeast Des Moines campus that caretakers and scientists can shuttle to the ape residences in their cars and load supplies on a flatbed trailer hitched to a tractor, rather than transport everyone and everything by boat. Power has been restored to the orangutan home, and its return is imminent in the bonobo home. The level of water has dropped about 12 feet since June 10-13, when the runaway Des Moines River spilled across the 230-acre campus, and the gummy sludge left in the water's place is drying. A dozen or more pair of hip waders have been retired.
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These are the latest flood-recovery victories at Great Ape Trust, a scientific research center studying ape intelligence, language and behavior. They go a long way toward eliminating some of the inconveniences faced by the Great Ape Trust staff in the aftermath of record flooding that, at its peak, left every inch of the southeast Des Moines campus affected, swallowing some parts in as much as 12 feet of water.
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As important as they are, the gradual return of people comforts can't compete with the sight of the orangutan Azy somersaulting across fresh, sweet-smelling straw and exploring the upper reaches of the outdoor enclosure when he, Knobi and Allie accessed their outdoor enclosure for the first time in 11 days on June 23. Nor can improvements in the quality of the animal care staff's life compare with the upcoming reintroduction of bonobos in their "greenhouse" - Great Ape Trust lingo for sunroom - where they work with researchers.
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A week after the floodwaters seeped in, ape homes were "as clean as the day we moved into them," said Dr. Rob Shumaker, director of orangutan research. "As far as the apes are concerned, we are 100 percent back to normal."
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Ape well-being is - and was throughout the flood emergency - the top priority of Great Ape Trust employees, who stood thigh-high or deeper in floodwaters as they worked around the clock to manage water inside the ape homes at levels ensuring maximum stability for the buildings' floating concrete slabs. Fueling and monitoring pumps, while simultaneously tending to the apes' needs, meant the bonobos and orangutans remained safe and dry on the upper levels of their vertical homes, designed to simulate apes' natural environments.
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"The orangutans' hands and feet," Shumaker said proudly, "never touched water."
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Said Director of Bonobo Research William M. Fields: "The main inconveniences were to people."
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Restoring the campus to pre-flood condition is expected to take months. Preliminary estimates put damages and losses at several hundred-thousand dollars. Specifically, four modular administrative suites, which provided workspaces for the administrative, scientific research, public safety and technology staffs, are a complete loss. Those employees are working from a nearby private home, which The Trust leases for visiting scientists and other guests, or remotely from other locations. Damage to the orangutan home was minor, primarily affecting electrical outlets and major appliances, all of which have been replaced. The mechanical, electrical and electronic systems in the bonobo home sustained significant damage, and good progress is being made to restore those systems. It may be a month before the human-occupied areas of the building are fully functioning.
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Contact Info: Beth Dalbey
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Communications Editor
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515.243.3580
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bdalbey@greatapetrust.org Website : Great Ape Trust of Iowa
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/SOURCE:
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Great Ape Trust of Iowa |
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07-03-2008 |
/CONTACT:
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Beth Dalbey
Communications Editor
515.243.3580
bdalbey@greatapetrust.org |
| /WEB SITE: |
http://www.greatapetrust.org
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