HONOLULU -- The city has decided that a temporary enclosure for Rusti the orangutan at Kualoa Ranch is not safe.

The city said Thursday it will keep him at the Honolulu Zoo until it can be assured his new home at Kualoa is safe.

Video

VIDEO REPORT

A non-profit group based in California, called Orangutan Foundation International, owns Rusti.

He's been at the Honolulu Zoo for six years, while the group has searched in vain for a new home for him. Now, KITV 4 News investigative reporter Keoki Kerr has learned that Rusti have to wait a few more months before leaving the zoo.

The Orangutan Foundation spent about $20,000 building a temporary cage at Kualoa Ranch in March with plans to build a more permanent enclosure there as well. The problem is, they didn't bother getting building permits for the cage.

"Well, it's been pointed out to us that that temporary cage is inadequate," city Planning and Permitting Director Eric Crispin said.

Last month, Crispin held a meeting with officials from the zoo; animal rights groups, federal veterinarians and the director, lawyers and architects from the nonprofit that owns Rusti.

"We won't move Rusti until we are sure that there are adequate facilities that we can ensure both Rusti's safety and welfare as well as the public's safety and welfare," Crispin said.

"Well that's very good news indeed, that at least there's going to be a holdup in moving him out to Kualoa, and they'll have to do quite a bit of work to make that facility a good one for him," said Cathy Goeggel of Animal Rights Hawaii.

Among the problems are that the plans for this facility did not get the stamp of approval of an architect or engineer. Also, there's no round-the-clock security guard at Kualoa and there's no escape plan detailing what the ranch staff would do if Rusti escaped.

Officials said the temporary cage also needs a double gate. Two federal veterinarians at the meeting criticized the type of chain-link fence placed there.

"She mentioned that this would be very easy for Rusti to undo and get out of the cage," Goeggel said.

Animal experts point out that an orangutan is seven to 10 times as strong as a man and highly intelligent. They want to avoid another "Tyke" incident, in which an elephant escaped from the circus at the Neal Blaisdell Arena in 1994, killing its trainer and injuring two others before Tyke was shot to death.

The Orangutan Foundation has hired well-known attorney Sherry Broder and Architects Hawaii to work on the project. Broder told KITV 4 News Thursday the organization has dropped its plans to use the temporary enclosure and will concentrate on building a bigger habitat for Rusti at Kualoa Ranch.

City officials estimate that could take "several months."