Will Peratino and his partner Lauren Stepp would not leave their Pine Island compound, despite authorities pleaded with residents to abandon their homes because of damaged roads.
They included a collapsed bridge that was preventing deliveries of food, gas and other life-sustaining supplies.
But the couple could not leave without their two lemurs and flock of birds — 275 parrots, including some of the world's rarest.
So a rescue mission — dubbed “Operation Noah's Ark” — was launched on Tuesday to catch, cage and ferry the birds off the island, as a condition for Mr Peratino and Ms Stepp leaving the island.
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Wind gusts, blowing down King Street, twist umbrellas during Hurricane Ian in Charleston, South Carolina. AP -
Flood waters on the streets of the South Battery in Charleston, South Carolina, as Hurricane Ian blows through on September 30. AP -
People wander the wreckage at a beach community in Bonita Springs, Florida, in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. AFP -
A US Coast Guard helicopter provided residents of Sanibel Island in Florida with an airlift after Hurricane Ian blew through. AP -
A satellite view taken by imaging company Planet Labs shows damage inflicted on an island in the Sanibel Causeway in Florida by Hurricane Ian. AP -
A combination of satellite images from Maxar Technologies shows San Carlos Boulevard in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, on August 17, top, and after Hurricane Ian, bottom, on September 30. AFP -
Householder John Quigley carries a piece of artwork made by his daughter, the only item he found to salvage from the ruins of his home after Hurricane Ian, as he pulls his girlfriend's son Sebastian in a cart in Fort Myers Beach, Florida. AP -
Fort Myers Beach in Florida after Hurricane Ian. AP -
Clean-up at a restaurant in Georgetown, South Carolina, close to where Hurricane Ian made landfall on September 30. Reuters -
Debris from beachfront homes and businesses covers a road after Hurricane Ian hit Fort Myers Beach in Florida. AP -
Rescuer Eduardo Tocuya hopes to reunite a dog with its owners after Hurricane Ian hit Fort Myers Beach in Florida. AP -
The Matlacha Isles west of Fort Myers in Florida after Hurricane Ian made its mark. EPA -
A damage survey party at work after Hurricane Ian hit Fort Myers Beach in Florida. AP -
Residents of Fort Myers Beach in Florida pick up the pieces after Hurricane Ian blew through. AFP -
The collapsed Sanibel Causeway in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Sanibel, Florida. AFP -
People clear debris in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers Beach, Florida. AFP -
Robert Leisure on what was the second floor of his business premises in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers, Florida. AFP -
People clear debris in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers Beach, Florida. AFP
“We would not abandon them. I would never leave them. Never,” said Ms Stepp, as volunteers collected the flock from dozens of coops at the Malama Manu Sanctuary.
“If they cannot be fed or watered, they will die. And I can’t live with that."
“Malama” is the Hawaiian word for protect; “manu” means bird.
The birds have been relying on food donated by wildlife officials since Hurricane Ian hit.
But the supply of fruit, peanuts and other edibles would soon be hard to come by with the bridge being down and the scarcity of petrol on the island.
Hurricane Ian battered south-west Florida a week ago with 250kph gusts, making some roads impassable and islands inaccessible. Heavy rain and wind-driven ocean surges brought dangerous flooding.
In the hours before the storm, the sanctuary owners herded their flock of birds and packed them into their home to shield them from the ferocity of the elements.
"You don't know what we've been through here. We had four feet of water in the house, damned near drowned," Mr Peratino said, before succumbing to tears.
Many of the birds were rescued from homes that could no longer care for them. Some are used for breeding rare species.
“To have every bird safe is a huge undertaking,” Mr Peratino said. “I mean, it's almost impossible to do. So the kind of help we've gotten has been invaluable.”
Ghassan Abboud, who owns a bird farm in West Palm Beach, is an acquaintance of the sanctuary owners. When he heard of their plight, he mustered his resources to help.
Mr Abboud had imagined commissioning a small boat to ferry cages from Pine Island to a dock on the mainland, where an air-conditioned trailer would take them to his property across the Florida peninsula.
But by chance he came across the Project Dynamo team, who have been volunteering to help rescue people stranded by floods and damaged roads. Project Dynamo assembled four boats and launched their mission.
“I could never write a script like this. It was perfect," Mr Abboud said. "I thought I'd be back all day long in a small boat.
"What these guys have done has been unimaginable. They dedicated their resources. They saved so many birds."
Hemingway's granddaughter fears hurricane will destroy writer's home
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The Hemingway House in Key West, Florida. There are concerns for the landmark, which is in the path of Hurricane Ian. Photo: Adam Fagen / Public Domain -
The Florida home of writer Ernest Hemingway. Photo: US National Register of Historic Places -
Ernest Hemingway's granddaughter said she hoped the late American author's home in Florida was spared from the destruction of the Category 4 storm. Photo: Tony Hisgett / Public Domain -
A balcony and view at the Hemingway House in Key West. Photo: Adam Fagen -
Cancelled payments once owned by Ernest Hemingway hang in the house. Photo: Adam Fagen -
A painting of six-toed cats hangs in a hallway of the house. Photo: Adam Fagen -
A black-and-gold tiled bathroom. Photo: Adam Fagen -
An ornate chandelier in the late, great writer's house. Photo: Adam Fagen -
A bookcase in the Hemingway House . Photo: Adam Fagen -
A resident six-toed cat relaxes in a bedroom. Photo: Adam Fagen -
Decorative plant holders line the edge of the pool. Photo: Adam Fagen -
A six-toed cat in residence at the Hemingway House. Photo: Adam Fagen -
Six-toed cats rule the roost at the house. Photo: Adam Fagen -
Monuments to the six-toed cats that once called the Key West house their home. Photo: Adam Fagen -
A house for the six-toed cats in residence. Photo: Adam Fagen -
A cat cemetery at Hemingway House. Photo: Adam Fagen -
Detail of the Hemingway House in Key West, Florida. Photo: Adam Fagen
