Opal’s Fight for Freedom : A Conversation with Prathna Singh - 26 August 2025

This week on our Lifestyle feature, we shine a light on the plight of Opal, a 45-year-old Borneo orangutan who has spent her life in captivity at the Natal Zoological Gardens outside Pietermaritzburg. Joining us is Prathna Singh, Director of Ban Animal Trading, an organization that has been at the forefront of the campaign for Opal’s release. With over 460,000 petition signatures already in support, the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast community and global voices are uniting to demand justice for Opal. We discuss the progress of this long-standing campaign, the challenges ahead, and how listeners can play a role in protecting one of the world’s most intelligent and critically endangered great apes.