Biruté Galdikas, Ph.D. (born May 10, 1946, Wiesbaden, Germany), is a primatologist, conservationist, ethologist, and author of several books relating to the endangered species orangutan. A giant in the field of modern primatology, Galdikas is recognized as the world's foremost authority in modern primatology and orangutans. Doctor of Philosophy (Ph. ... Jump to: navigation, search May 10 is the 130th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (131st in leap years). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1946 was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... Wiesbaden is a city in central Germany. ... Primatology is the study of primates. ... Conservationists are those people who tend to more highly rank the wise use of the Earths resources and ecosystems. ... Ethology is the scientific study of animal behaviour (particularly of social animals such as primates and canids), and is a branch of zoology. ... Jump to: navigation, search The American bison numbered as few as 750 in 1890 due to extreme overhunting. ... Jump to: navigation, search Type species Simia pygmaeus Linnaeus, 1760 Species Pongo pygmaeus Pongo abelii Orangutans (also spelled orang utan, orang-utan, sometimes incorrectly orangutang) are two species of great apes with long arms and reddish, sometimes brown, hair native to Malaysia and Indonesia. ... Primatology is the study of primates. ... Primatology is the study of primates. ...

Early life and education

Galdikas was born in Germany to Lithuanian parents. She later became a naturalized Canadian and grew up in Toronto, Canada. Jump to: navigation, search {{Hide = {{{Disable Motto Link}}}}} Motto: {{Unhide = {{{Disable Motto Link}}}}} Diversity Our Strength {{Canadian City/Location Image is:{{{Location Image Type}}}|[[Image:{{{Location Image}}}|thumbnail|center|250px|City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada location. ...

From the age of 5, Galdikas wondered where the human being came from. In college, her love of nature and curiosity about the great apes led her to study psychology and biology. In 1966 Galdikas earned her bachelor's degrees in psychology and zoology from the University of British Columbia and the University of California, Los Angeles, her master's degree in anthropology from UCLA in 1969 and her doctorate in anthropology, also from UCLA, in 1978. It was there, as a graduate student, she first met famed Kenyan paleontologist Louis Leakey and expressed her desire to study orangutans in their natural habitats. Jump to: navigation, search Binomial name Homo sapiens Linnaeus, 1758 Subspecies Homo sapiens idaltu (extinct) Homo sapiens sapiens For other uses, see Human (disambiguation). ... The deepest visible-light image of the universe, the Hubble Ultra Deep Field. ... Jump to: navigation, search This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Jump to: navigation, search Psychology (Classical Greek: psyche = soul or mind, logos = study of) is an academic and applied field involving the study of behavior, mind and thought and the neurological bases of behavior. ... Main articles: Life All organisms (viruses not included) consist of cells, which in turn, are based on a common carbon-based biochemistry. ... 1966 was a common year starting on Saturday (link goes to calendar) // Events January January 1 - In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa ousts president David Dacko and takes over the Central African Republic. ... A bachelors degree is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course or major that generally lasts three or four years. ... Jump to: navigation, search Psychology (Classical Greek: psyche = soul or mind, logos = study of) is an academic and applied field involving the study of behavior, mind and thought and the neurological bases of behavior. ... Zoology (Greek zoon = animal and logos = word) is the biological discipline which involves the study of animals. ... The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public university with its main campus located at Point Grey, in the University Endowment Lands, a suburb directly adjoining Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and another smaller campus known as UBC Okanagan located in Kelowna, British Columbia. ... Jump to: navigation, search The University of California, Los Angeles, popularly known as UCLA, is a public, coeducational university situated in the neighborhood of Westwood within the city of Los Angeles. ... Anthropology (from the Greek word άνθρωπος, human) consists of the study of humankind (see genus Homo). ... Jump to: navigation, search 1969 was a common year starting on Wednesday For other uses, see Number 1969. ... Jump to: navigation, search 1978 was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... A paleontologist carefully chips rock from a column of dinosaur vertebrae. ... Louis Seymour Bazett Leakey (August 7, 1903–October 1, 1972) was a British archaeologist whose work was important in establishing human evolutionary development in Africa. ... Habitat (from the Latin for it inhabits) is the place where a particular species lives and grows. ...

Leakey's Angels

Determined to study and understand the world of the elusive 'red ape', Galdikas convinced Leakey to help orchestrate her endeavor, despite his initial reservations. Galdikas become the third of a trio of women hand-picked by Leakey to study mankind's nearest relatives, the great apes, in their natural habitat. Known as 'Leakey's Angels', the other two were Jane Goodall, who studied chimpanzees, and Dian Fossey, who became a martyr in her quest to study and protect mountain gorillas. Orangutans comprise an exceedingly intelligent great ape species native to Malaysia and Indonesia, who have long arms and reddish, sometimes brown, hair. Leakey and the National Geographic Society helped Galdikas initially set up her research camp to conduct field study on orangutans in Borneo. Mankind may refer to: Human beings and their society An alias of professional wrestler Mick Foley The MMORTS Mankind The morality play Mankind. ... Genera Subfamily Ponginae Pongo - Orangutans Gigantopithecus (extinct) Sivapithecus (extinct) Subfamily Homininae Gorilla - Gorillas Pan - Chimpanzees Homo - Humans Paranthropus (extinct) Australopithecus (extinct) Sahelanthropus (extinct) Ardipithecus (extinct) Kenyanthropus (extinct) Pierolapithecus (extinct) (tentative) The Hominids (Hominidae) are a biological family which includes humans, extinct species of humanlike creatures and the other great apes... Jane Goodall Valerie Jane Morris Goodall, Ph. ... Jump to: navigation, search Type species Simia troglodytes Blumenbach, 1775 Species Pan troglodytes Pan paniscus Chimpanzee, often abbreviated to chimp, is the common name for two species in the genus Pan. ... Dian Fossey (January 16, 1932 - December 26, 1985) was an cuban ethologist interested in gorillas, completing an extended study of several gorilla groups, observing them daily for years in the mountain forests of Rwanda. ... Historically, a martyr is a person who dies for his or her religious faith. ... Trinomial name Gorilla berengei berengei Matschie, 1914 The Mountain Gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) is one of two subspecies of Eastern Gorillas. ... Jump to: navigation, search In biology, the most commonly used definition of species was first coined by Ernst Mayr. ... Jump to: navigation, search Flag of the National Geographic Society The National Geographic Society was founded in the United States on January 27, 1888, by 33 men interested in organizing a society for the increase and diffusion of geographical knowledge. ...

In 1971, Galdikas and her then husband, photographer Rod Brindamour, arrived in one of the world's few remaining wild places, Tanjung Puting Reserve, in Indonesian Borneo. Before Leakey's fortuitous decision to anoint Galdikas as the third of his 'Angels', the orangutan was much less well understood than the African great apes. Jump to: navigation, search 1971 is a common year starting on Friday (click for link to calendar). ... Borneo (politically divided between Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei) is the third largest island in the world. ...

A life of research and advocacy

At 25, Dr. Galdikas was sent by Leakey to Borneo to conduct field studies of orangutans in a jungle environment extremely inhospitable to most Westerners. Galdikas went on to further burnish Leakey's legacy by greatly expanding scientific knowledge of orangutan behavior, habitat and diet. In doing so, Galdikas has made many invaluable contributions to the scientific understanding of Indonesia's biodiversity and the rainforest as a whole, while also bringing the orangutan to the attention of the rest of the world. Borneo (politically divided between Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei) is the third largest island in the world. ... Jungle refers usually to a forest. ... Jump to: navigation, search Behavior (or behaviour) refers to the actions or reactions of an object or organism, usually in relation to the environment. ... Diet may mean: In nutrition: Diet (nutrition), the sum of the food consumed by an organism or group. ...

When she arrived in Borneo, Galdikas settled into a primitive bark and thatch hut, at a site she dubbed 'Camp Leakey', near the edge of the Java Sea. Once there, she encountered numerous poachers, legions of leeches, and swarms of carnivorous insects. Yet she persevered through many travails, remaining there for over 30 years while becoming an outspoken advocate for orangutans, and the preservation of their rainforest habitat, which is rapidly being devastated by loggers, gold miners, and unnatural conflagrations. The Java Sea (Jawa Sea) is a large ( 310,000 sq. ... Poacher has two different meanings: A poacher is someone who engages in poaching – the theft or illegal killing of animals or plants, or sometimes artifacts. ... Jump to: navigation, search Orders Arhynchobdellida or Rhynchobdellida There is some dispute as to whether Hirudinea should be a class itself, or a subclass of the Clitellata. ... It has been suggested that Barrister#Advocates in Scotland be merged into this article or section. ... Rainforest on Fatu-Hiva, Marquesas Islands A rainforest is a forested biome with high annual rainfall due to the Intertropical convergence zone. ... A logger is someone who is employed in the logging industry to cut down and transport trees to market. ... Gold mining consists of the processes and techniques employed in the removal of gold from the ground. ... For other uses see fire (disambiguation). ...

Galdikas' conservation efforts have extended well beyond advocacy, largely focusing on rehabilitation of the many orphaned orangutans turned over to her for care. Many of these orphans were once pets, before becoming too smart and difficult for their owners to handle. Galdikas' rehabilitation efforts became the center of controversies for Galdikas and the Orangutan Foundation. The effectiveness of her rehabilitation efforts spawned widespread debate in the late 1990s, due in part to articles and books about Galdikas by Canadian Linda Spalding. It was suggested that wild orangutan populations might be harmed as a result of the manner in which rehabilitation was being conducted at the Camp Leakey field station. Conservation may refer to the following: Conservation ethic in relation to preserving ecosystems Conservationist Conservation movement Conservation ecology Conservation law of physics Conservation of energy Conservation of mass Conservation in genetics Conservation in psychology Prolonging the material integrity of cultural and artistic objects Art conservation Architectural conservation or immovable object... Look up Rehabilitation on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Rehabilitation is the restoration of lost capabilities, or the treatment aimed at producing it. ...

An ongoing legacy

While campaigning actively on behalf of primate conservation, Galdikas continues her field research, among the lengthiest continuous studies of a mammal ever conducted. Her husband, Pak Bohap, is a Dayak rice farmer, tribal president, and co-director of the orangutan program in Borneo. She has also written several books, including a memoir, written long after her fellow 'Angels' published theirs, entitled Reflections of Eden. In it, Galdikas describes her experiences at Camp Leakey and efforts to rehabilitate ex-captive orangutans and release them into the Borneo rainforest. The Dayak (also Dyak and la-kia) are indigenous occupants of the Kalimantan region of Borneo. ... Tribal refers to a culture or society based on tribes or clans. ... A memoir, as a literary genre, forms a sub-class of autobiography. ... Political rehabilitation is the process by which a member of a political organization or government who has fallen into disgrace is restored to public life. ...

Dr. Galdakis is currently a professor at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, and 'Professor Extraordinaire' at Indonesia's Universitas Nasional in Jakarta. She is also president of the Orangutan Foundation International in Los Angeles, California. A professor is a senior teacher, lecturer and researcher, usually in a college or university. ... Simon Fraser University (SFU) is located in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, a suburb of Vancouver, British Columbia. ... Burnaby, British Columbia, is a city immediately east of Vancouver. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Motto: Jaya Raya (Indonesian): Prosper and Great Founded 22 June 1527 Governor Sutiyoso Area 661. ... The City of Los Angeles (from Spanish Los Ángeles , meaning the angels), also known as L.A., is the second-largest city in the United States in terms of population, as well as one of the worlds most important economic, cultural, and entertainment centers. ...

Recognition

Galdikas has been featured in Life, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, numerous television documentaries, and twice on the cover of National Geographic. Jump to: navigation, search A cover of Life Magazine from 1911 Life has been the name of two notable magazines published in the United States. ... The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... ... The Los Angeles Times (also known as the LA Times) is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California and distributed throughout the western United States. ... A documentary is a work in a visual or auditory medium presenting political, scientific, social, or historical subjects in a factual and informative manner. ... The National Geographic Society was founded in the USA on January 27, 1888, by 33 men interested in organizing a society for the increase and diffusion of geographical knowledge. ...

Galdikas, fellow 'Angel' Jane Goodall, and preeminent field biologist George Schaller, became recipients of Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement laureates in 1997 for their groundbreaking field research and lifetime contributions to the advancement of environmental science. Dr. George Schaller at a lecture in Beijing Zoo on Aug. ... The Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement is an award for environmental science, energy, and medicine. ... 1997 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Other honors bestowed upon Galdikas include the 'PETA Humanitarian Award (1990), the 'Eddie Bauer Hero of the Earth' (1991), the 'Sierra Club Chico Mendes Award' (1992), and the 'United Nations Global 500 Award' 1993 In physics and mathematics, peta (symbol: P) is a prefix in the SI system of units denoting 1015, or 1 000 000 000 000 000. ... Eddie Bauer is an outdoor clothing and sporting goods chain. ... The Sierra Club is an American environmental organization founded on May 28, 1892 in San Francisco, California by the well-known conservationist John Muir, who became its first president. ... Chico Mendes Francisco Alves Mendes Filho (December 15, 1944-December 22, 1988), also known as Chico Mendes, was a Brazilian rubber tapper, unionist and environmental activist. ... Jump to: navigation, search The United Nations, or UN, is an international organization established in 1945. ...

See Also

• Chantek
• Jeffrey H. Schwartz
• List of apes

Jump to: navigation, search Chantek Chantek (born December 17, 1977, at the Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center in Atlanta, Georgia) is a male Orangutan who has mastered the use of a number of intellectual skills, including sign language, taught by anthropologist Dr Lyn Miles. ... Jeffrey H. Schwartz, PhD, is a physical anthropologist and professor of biological anthropology at the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. ... This is a list of apes of encyclopedic interest. ...

External Links

• USC.edu - 'The Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement: the premier award for environmental science, energy and medicine conferring great benefit upon mankind'
• Science.co - 'Biruté Galdikas' (April 20, 2004)
• Orangutan.org - Orangutan Foundation International
• OrionSociety.org - 'Does an Orangutan find freedom in the gift of words? Do we?' Susanne Antonetta (March, 2005)
• Orangutan Cultures Online Duke.edu - 'Orangutan Cultures Online'
• Asinah.org - Bohorok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Center