Free Opal: North Coast community hosts fundraiser for orangutan
Opal, the 45-year-old Borneo orangutan was born at the Natal Zoological Gardens, near Pietermaritzburg.
Image: Supplied
THE KwaZulu-Natal North Coast community will host a fun run on Sunday, October 5, to raise funds for a veterinary assessment of Opal, a 45-year-old orangutan who has spent her entire life in a concrete enclosure at the Natal Zoological Gardens.
The fundraiser forms part of a growing campaign led by animal rights group Ban Animal Trading (BAT) and the local #Get Vocal for Opal initiative, calling for the intervention of an independent veterinarian to evaluate whether Opal can be relocated to a sanctuary.
Opal, a Borneo orangutan born in captivity in 1980, has lived in near-total isolation in what activists describe as a "barren" and "depressing" enclosure.
#Get Vocal for Opal initiative wants an independent veterinarian to evaluate whether Opal can be relocated to a sanctuary.
Image: Supplied
Organisers of Sunday’s free community event Rock Up & Run turns Orange for Opal in Ballito said the goal was to raise funds and create public awareness about her condition.
The event will start at 7am at Hops Restaurant & Bar, with three different routes: 4km, 5.6km, and 7km and participants are encouraged to wear orange.
After the run, participants can enter a raffle to win a two-night stay for two at Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge or Thonga Beach Lodge, or donate directly to Opal’s cause.
“The community is coming together to give Opal a chance at a better life,” said Nicky Arthur, spokesperson for the campaign. “This fun run is symbolic, it is a show of support, a call for compassion, and a step toward justice for an animal who has suffered silently for decades.”
Arthur said a world-renowned expert in animal translocations has agreed to assess Opal's physical and psychological condition and determine if she is fit for relocation. Sanctuaries abroad, including the Center for Great Apes in the United States, have previously expressed interest in accepting her.
While the zoo maintains that Opal is “comfortable” in her current environment, BAT strongly disputes this, saying her enclosure lacks adequate stimulation and enrichment.
“Her living space is bleak,” said BAT’s Prathna Singh. “She has a basic climbing frame, but it’s completely inadequate. Her eyes are lifeless and she looks completely hopeless.”
Ban Animal Trading (BAT) has been fighting for Opal’s release from the Natal Zoological Gardens for over a decade.
Image: Supplied
BAT’s Smaragda Louw added that Opal’s case was indicative of the broader ethical concerns around animal captivity. “Animals like Opal, born and raised in cages, are a shadow of their wild counterparts,” she said. “They have no conservation or educational value in such conditions. This is about dignity, sentience, and recognising that animals feel pain and emotional distress.”
Opal's history includes a short-lived stint in film — she appeared in The Crazy Jungle Adventure in 1982 — and the tragic loss or separation of a baby, depending on conflicting reports. Despite past efforts to relocate her, she remains confined at the zoo outside Pietermaritzburg.
The planned assessment is seen as a critical step forward. “If the vet finds relocation is not in her best interest at this stage of her life, we’ll accept that,” said Louw. “But we must know the truth and that requires an independent opinion.”
BAT has been fighting for Opal’s release from zoo for over a decade. Their efforts began with a protest on December 29, 2015, followed by another on February 8, 2016, alongside the Kloof SPCA’s push to relocate Opal to Monkey World in the UK.
In 2017, BAT collaborated with Monkey Helpline to amplify its campaign, and in 2019 it organised further protests to keep public pressure on the zoo.
The advocacy continued with demonstrations in April in 2021, supported by petitions that have collectively garnered over 460,000 signatures across platforms like Change.org and ThePetitionSite.com.