PALM HARBOR, Fla. — Pongo the Orangutan is the star of the show at Palm Harbor's Suncoast Primate Sanctuary, a good home for great apes and monkeys.
And if a new leadership group at the nonprofit gets its way, the 23-year-old charmer will have a bigger, more natural enclosure sometime in the near future.
In fact, all his rescued simian pals will get a nice boost.
"Our goal here is to give their second-chance lives meaning," said Lori Weltz, a board director and one of the leading voices in the sanctuary's hopeful new direction. "Every animal here deserves love."
The Suncoast Primate Sanctuary, which has a long, complex history, is open to the public four days a week, Thursdays through Sundays.
These days, it lovingly houses chimpanzees, macaques, capuchins and lemurs, many of which were rescued from medical testing labs or inhospitable conditions.
Lori and her crew are openly engaging the community to help with the restoration of the sanctuary, which has had its share of ups and downs over the years.
The new mission is sheer transparency on the road to better times. Volunteers are always needed — all you need is a love of animals and a willingness to learn.
There are also opportunities to sponsor enclosures and help with the mounting food budget.
Tickets to the sanctuary are $15 for adults, $10 for kids. All proceeds benefit the support of the animals. Guests are encouraged to bring lunch.
For more information on the Suncoast Primate Sanctuary, click here.
