Debracy Primate Foundation EC

11/06/2026

https://www.facebook.com/1126926919/posts/10241765284485300/

09/06/2026

This sweet old girl needs our help. Please share her story far and wide over the globe, let's be her voice and help her find her way to sanctuary.

Today is National Best Friends Day. Opal doesn’t have a best friend. She doesn’t have any friends. She lives completely alone at Natal Zoological Gardens.

Orangutans are semi-solitary in the wild, where they belong. But captivity is a completely different situation. It’s so cruel to keep a sentient, emotionally complex being in isolation for decades.

Just because the Animals Protection Act No. 71 of 1962 doesn’t take Opal’s psychological needs into account, this doesn’t mean they don’t matter. Opal’s mental wellbeing is every bit as important as her physical health, and we are concerned about both.

We understand the restrictions of the law in South Africa. But surely someone in authority can act. Orangutans are a Critically Endangered species native to Borneo and Sumatra. They do not belong in South Africa.

However, as Opal is in South Africa, the South African Government has a responsibility to ensure her welfare. At the very least, it should require Natal Zoological Gardens to allow an independent veterinary and behavioural assessment of Opal. This would help determine whether a move to a sanctuary would be safe and beneficial for her.

If the assessment supports relocation, the next step should be to work towards giving Opal what she has been denied: the opportunity to live in a suitable sanctuary and have the companionship of other orangutans. 🦧

29/05/2026

Good Morning World 🌍 It's a beautiful day to be alive and living in this magical space.
Tomorrow we start on the final construction of our monkey enclosures 🎉🎉🎉 Watch this space...it's going to be an epic day 🎉

28/05/2026

Seeing this magical place just never gets old 💜
The Great Kei River is like a mirror tonight...perfect for an early evening paddle up river 💜

26/05/2026

The path to freedom is getting wider each day 😀

22/05/2026

22/05/2026

It's the start of "Meet The Team" week 🎉🎉🎉🐵

21/05/2026

Why? Because there are already SO many animals in need out there, we don't need to breed more for captivity.

Ask any sanctuary and they'll probably tell you they're constantly at or near capacity. They receive countless calls every week asking for them to take in an animal that needs care. The numbers are staggering as is the emotional toll on sanctuary operators.

True sanctuaries don't breed animals for captivity - if you see a "sanctuary" doing so, you may not be at a TRUE sanctuary.

20/05/2026

This view just never gets old 💜
Zoom in and see the beautiful indigenous mist belt forest on the other side of the river. It is not just spectacular 💜
We have the same indigenous mist belt forests on our side of the river and can't wait to start exploring and seeing what fauna and flora this magical place shares with us 🤩

19/05/2026

Any businesses out there keen for some "on the move" advertising 🙏🙏🙏