"Each day she is released from her sleeping cage into her daytime cell. There on a meager patch of grass with a makeshift 'Jungle Gym' of poles, she spends every day of her life. Alone." – Cheri Cooke, Kloof SPCA Inspector Manager

Opal the orangutan has spent over 30 years in a barren enclosure at the Natal Zoo in South Africa. All day, she listens as the family of chimpanzees in the neighboring enclosure chatter and play together while she sits in isolation.

Two visitors recently reported seeing Opal swing herself to the dividing wall with the chimps and sit, forlornly pointing to a spot on the wall. She hadn't moved when they left over 10 minutes later.

When Francois found out about Opal's sad life, he was so horrified by her mistreatment that he started a Care2 petition demanding that the zoo's owner release her to a primate sanctuary. Will you help Opal by signing his petition?

For years the Kloof SPCA has begged Brian Boswell, who owns both the Natal Zoo and Boswell Circus, to send Opal to an ape rescue center in the UK called Monkey World. There she could have the companionship of other orangutans and live in a more natural enclosure with plenty of grass and trees. Monkey World has already said they would welcome Opal with open arms.

Boswell responded to the SPCA's pleas by saying that if they thought Opal was so lonely, they should send a male orangutan to live with her at his zoo. We need to put a massive amount of public pressure on this man to let Opal live a happier life.

The Kloof SPCA is appealing to the South African courts as part of their campaign to get Boswell to give up Opal. They have told Francois that the more signatures he can get on his petition, the stronger their campaign will be. So act now to join animal lovers from around the world in the fight to free Opal.