Rusti the orangutan is alive and well and living in Honolulu

Question: Whatever happened to Rusti the orangutan?

Answer: Rusti, who celebrated his 34th birthday last month, is enjoying the Hono­lulu Zoo habitat he shares with his orangutan companion, Violet.

The 315-pound Sumatran-Bornean hybrid was brought to the zoo in 1997 after living in an unaccredited roadside zoo in New Jersey. Rusti and Violet, formerly of the San Diego Zoo, moved into their spacious enclosure — complete with a climbing structure and hammocks — in 2006.

Rusti’s caretaker, Malia Davis, said despite a respiratory problem developed years ago, the 315-pound great ape is in good health.

Baird Fleming, Honolulu Zoo’s assistant director, said the orangutan enclosure is a popular attraction at the zoo, which houses 875 animals.

"Rusti is definitely one of my favorite animals here," Fleming said. "People can see him and look into his eyes and see there’s an intelligent being. There’s a kindred spirit in him. You feel empathy toward him because of that. He’ll come up to you and look at you. He almost can communicate with you."

Rusti’s daily activities often include painting, climbing trees, breaking branches, and a midafternoon playful wrestling match with Violet, Davis said. If there’s a sponge lying around, he’ll scrub the windows ­— with mud.

Davis said she hopes the zoo will get an iPad for the orangutans to play with. "Rusti’s used one a few times," she said, noting that he has tried a drawing program, played music and looked at pictures of animals. With an iPad, Davis said, Rusti’s communication and memorization abilities could also be assessed with various games and programs.

According to environmental group World Wildlife Fund, there are currently up to 69,000 Bornean orangutans and 7,300 Sumatran orangutans left in the wild. Davis said the species is dwindling due to deforestation, production of palm oil and the selling of baby orangutans.

A 20-minute film called "Rusti Escapes!" received recognition at some small film festivals on the mainland in 2012 and 2013. It aims to increase awareness about animals in captivity.

In the film’s story line, Rusti "escapes" from the Honolulu Zoo and finds a home inside a cave. The film’s director, Pamela Davis (no relation to Rusti’s caretaker), maintains that it’s not "natural" for animals to be held in captivity —even in zoos.

But Malia Davis said that because Rusti was raised by humans for most of his life, he would not be able to live on his own in the wild. Moreover, she doesn’t think Rusti is unhappy where he is. "He’s not lonely or alone."

Before moving into the orangutan enclosure, "he was overweight and complacent," Davis said. Back then, his caretaker said, he was housed by himself in a cage.

"Now he’s got Violet and she keeps him busy," Davis said. "Yeah, he’s definitely happy."

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This update was written by Joie Nishimoto. Suggest a topic for “Whatever Happened To…” by writing Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-210, Honolulu 96813; call 529-4747; or email cityeditors@staradvertiser.com.