Friends of Opal

It’s Mental Health Awareness Week, and it’s important to remember that mental health affects animals too, including Opal the orangutan at Natal Zoological Gardens. 🦧💔 But South Africa’s Animals Protection Act 71 of 1962 focuses on physical welfare and does not properly recognise the psychological and emotional wellbeing of animals. As long as basic requirements such as food, water, shelter, ventilation, and protection from physical suffering are provided, this is considered legally acceptable. Orangutans are highly intelligent, self-aware, emotionally complex, sentient beings. They can experience loneliness, boredom, distress, trauma, and grief, just as humans do. Opal has spent decades living alone in a small barren enclosure at Natal Zoological Gardens. Mental suffering may not leave visible wounds, but that does not make it any less real. But this doesn’t have to be Opal’s future. If the zoo would let her go to a suitable sanctuary, she could finally experience the care and companionship that she deserves. She could have comfort, choice, stimulation, and peace. Mental health matters. Not just for humans, but for animals too. Opal deserves more than mere existence. She deserves a fulfilling, happy life. Photo by: @rivaajkphotography /rivaajkphotography #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek #GetVocalForOpal #NatalZoologicalGardens #OpalOrangutan #FriendsOfOpal

Just a reminder that we have a petition calling for Opal’s release from Natal Zoological Gardens and relocation to a sanctuary. If you haven’t signed yet, please take a moment to do so. And if you already have, please keep sharing it far and wide. Every share helps raise awareness of Opal’s sad and lonely life. 🦧 /opalorangutan - or click the link in our bio. (After signing, the site may prompt you to donate to support Change.org – but this is completely optional and NOT required for your signature to count.) #GetVocalForOpal #NatalZoologicalGardens #NatalZoo #OpalOrangutan #FriendsOfOpal

It’s Endangered Species Day today. Opal is a Bornean orangutan - a critically endangered species. A precious being who deserves protection, dignity, comfort, and companionship. So why has she been languishing at Natal Zoological Gardens for decades? Living alone in a small barren enclosure. Even with the recent additions to her enrichment, this remains an entirely unsuitable environment and life for a great ape. There has been global outrage about Opal’s situation for many years. Organisations have tried to have her relocated to a sanctuary, but the zoo refuses to let her go, and current legislation under the outdated Animal Protection Act 71 of 1962 leaves little power to force change. Why won’t the South African Government take action? We reached out to Minister @aucamp.willie of the @dffenvironment , but he refused to intervene. We won’t give up. We’ll continue speaking out for Opal and advocating for the life she deserves. 🦧 #EndangeredSpeciesDay #GetVocalForOpal #NatalZoologicalGardens #OpalOrangutan #FriendsOfOpal

South Africa is preparing to host the 2026 International Day for Biological Diversity Global Flagship Event. We are grateful for the country’s commitment to conservation, biodiversity stewardship, and community-led action. 🌍 But biodiversity protection is not only about ecosystems and species in the wild. It is also about compassion, responsibility, and ethical care for endangered animals already living in human care. As global leaders gather to discuss protecting our natural world, we hope South Africa’s spirit of conservation and international leadership will also extend to Opal, the lonely orangutan at Natal Zoological Gardens. We respectfully ask for an independent veterinary assessment of Opal and, if she is physically able, for her to be relocated to a primate sanctuary where she can receive the specialist care an elderly orangutan needs. Local action can create global impact - and compassion matters too. Please help Opal. @unbiodiversity @governmentza @aucamp.willie @dffenvironment #BiodiversityDay #GetVocalForOpal #NatalZoologicalGardens #OpalOrangutan #FriendsOfOpal

Today is Mother’s Day in South Africa. Opal is a mother. 🦧 Many years ago, she gave birth to a baby boy, but sadly it remains unclear what happened to him. The Boswell family stated that he was moved to another facility to diversify the gene pool, while the SPCA reported that he died from tuberculosis. Orangutans are among the most devoted mothers in the animal kingdom. In the wild, a mother and baby stay together for around eight years. They share an incredibly strong and special bond. Whether Opal’s son was taken away from her or whether he tragically passed away, the loss would have been heartbreaking for her. 💔 For decades since then, Opal has lived alone at Natal Zoological Gardens in solitary confinement. This Mother’s Day, spare a thought for her and support our campaign to get her relocated to a sanctuary. Please share this post to raise awareness and invite your friends to join us. We can’t change Opal’s tragic past. But we still hope to change her future! 🧡 Photo by: @rivaajkphotography /rivaajkphotography #MothersDay #GetVocalForOpal #NatalZoologicalGardens #OpalOrangutan #FriendsOfOpal

This photo of Opal was taken by one of our Facebook followers, Talisha Ramkissoon, who visited Natal Zoological Gardens a few days ago. She said that Opal was just sitting and staring at everyone, a very sad sight. 💔 Visitor experiences like this are so helpful to show the world the reality of Opal’s situation. Thank you Talisha for helping to raise awareness. #GetVocalForOpal #NatalZoologicalGardens #NatalZoo #OpalOrangutan #FriendsOfOpal

One of our Facebook followers visited Natal Zoological Gardens a couple of days ago and shared their experience and video with us. They said Opal came out for about 10 minutes. She walked straight over to the garden bed, ripped one of the new plants out and threw it into the water (as can be seen in this video). After climbing on the tyre swing and eating a bit, she then went back into the room she’s kept in and just sat in the doorway. #GetVocalForOpal #NatalZoologicalGardens #NatalZoo #OpalOrangutan #FriendsOfOpal

Looking at Opal’s sweet, beautiful face breaks our hearts. 💔 We try to imagine how it feels to be her. What’s it like for a sentient being to spend decades in solitude, with no way of asking for help or getting herself out of that situation? It’s up to us, those who care, to be her voice and keep pushing for change. Because Opal can’t wait forever. She’s an elderly orangutan. We don’t know how much time she has left. But we do know this: her remaining years matter. Opal could still experience comfort, care, and the companionship she has been denied for so many years, if she is given the chance to move to a suitable sanctuary. This is what we continue to call for. Photo by: @rivaajkphotography /rivaajkphotography #GetVocalForOpal #NatalZoologicalGardens #NatalZoo #OpalOrangutan #FriendsOfOpal

We’ve seen a comment by Natal Zoological Gardens on Facebook saying that they’ve: “recently added a garden bed which is replanted every morning with new and interesting plants. Opal is a keen gardener.” This sounds like a nice addition to Opal’s enclosure, and it’s good to hear about more new enrichment being provided. It does raise a question though… if Opal is such a keen gardener, why has something like this only just been introduced after decades of her living at the zoo? We’d be very interested to see photos of this garden, if anyone has visited the zoo recently and seen it. Likewise, we’d like to see how Opal is interacting with the other new enrichment that has been added. The image we’ve shared here is a screenshot from a TikTok video of Opal in her new little house. #GetVocalForOpal #NatalZoologicalGardens #NatalZoo #OpalOrangutan #FriendsOfOpal

It’s Global Love Day today. 🌍🧡 Opal lives a lonely life at Natal Zoological Gardens, in South Africa. But she is loved and cared about by people all over the world. Please continue sharing her story to help us reach even more people - and let us know in the comments where you’re from! #GlobalLoveDay #GetVocalForOpal #NatalZoologicalGardens #OpalOrangutan #FriendsOfOpal

Today, for National Animal Advocacy Day, we’re asking you to speak up for Opal! 📣🦧 After decades at Natal Zoological Gardens in solitary confinement, Opal urgently needs to be moved to a dedicated primate sanctuary, where she can experience a more natural life alongside other orangutans. She’s an elderly, sentient being who has endured a lonely existence for far too long. She deserves a peaceful, happy, and dignified retirement, with care specialised to meet the needs of an orangutan of her age. Please share her story with those who haven’t heard it. Sign and share our petition: 🔗 /opalorangutan Opal can’t speak for herself… please be her voice. #NationalAnimalAdvocacyDay #GetVocalForOpal #NatalZoologicalGardens #OpalOrangutan #FriendsOfOpal

Today is World Wish Day. Our biggest wish is for Opal to be relocated to a sanctuary to live with other orangutans. 🦧 In the wild, orangutans are semi-solitary, but they are not isolated. They live in rich forest environments where they see, hear, and interact with others. Mothers form deep emotional bonds with their young, who stay with them for up to eight years. In captivity, orangutans form strong social bonds too, playing, learning, and finding comfort in one another. Companionship is such an important part of their emotional world. Isolation in captivity, without choice, is cruel for such intelligent, emotionally aware beings. It is deeply harmful to their psychological wellbeing. We understand there are concerns about how Opal might adjust after decades of isolation. But she has lived with her own kind before many years ago, and even had a baby. In a specialist sanctuary, any introduction would be gradual, carefully managed, and centred entirely on her wellbeing and safety. She would never be placed in a situation that is dangerous to herself or to another orangutan. Opal deserves the chance to experience companionship again, and to live in an environment that reflects her true nature as closely as possible. 🧡 #WorldWishDay #GetVocalForOpal #NatalZoologicalGardens #OpalOrangutan #FriendsOfOpal