No plans to relocate Opal the orangutan due to safety concerns

After years of campaigning to have Opal the orangutan relocated from the Natal Zoological Gardens to a sanctuary, Friends of Opal founder Greer Bullock has announced a dramatic change of course, saying expert advice has convinced her that moving the 47-year-old primate could place her life at risk. Bullock said discussions with several respected orangutan specialists in behaviour, welfare, veterinary medicine, rehabilitation and zoo management had led her to abandon her campaign for Opal’s relocation. “Before Opal could be considered for relocation to a sanctuary, she would have needed a full veterinary examination and medical tests, which would require her to be sedated,” she said.

Bullock added that she wasn’t aware of the risks involved with this assessment. Sadly, due to her advanced age, there is a real risk that she might not survive an anaesthetic procedure. She could also have underlying health conditions that we are unaware of, which would make the procedure even more risky.

Even then, it could turn out that the veterinary assessment is all for nothing. Bullock said that if Opal has a disease such as Tuberculosis or Hepatitis B, she would not be able to go to Monkey World to live with other orangutans as we had hoped. “Once I understood these risks, I no longer felt it was right to continue advocating for a move that could put Opal’s life at risk.

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Instead, I believe our efforts are better focused on improving her quality of life where she is,” said Bullock. “I have had detailed discussions with several highly respected orangutan professionals, with decades of experience in orangutan behaviour, welfare, veterinary medicine, rehabilitation and zoos.” “The consistent message I received was that, for Opal as an individual, moving her at 47 years of age, after spending so much of her life alone, carries too great a welfare risk,” she said. They explained that relocation would cause considerable stress, that she may not adapt to life with other orangutans after so many decades in solitary housing, and that there is no guarantee such a move would improve her welfare.

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