Activities

1946 born Birutė Mary Galdikas Filomena, which would later become "one of the most famous scientists century" (Encyclopedia of the "A to Z of Women in Science and Math).

1966 the Psychology and zoology Bachelor of Science degree at the British Columbia and California (Los Angeles, USA) universities were obtained and in 1969 - the Master of anthropology and in 1978 - PhD.

Birutė Galdikas research work was related to the study and preservation of orangutan, and once she has met a significant paleontology Louis Leakey in Kenya and expressed her willingness to explore the wild orangutan - the Indonesian islands Borneo and Sumatra.

1971 B.Galdikas came to the island of Borneo (Indonesia). She was one of three women, the famous Louis Leakey followers, determined to explore "the last, wood lives in a major apes", the remainder of the land. Galdikas along with Diane Fossey and Jane Goodall, was known as a "triplet" one of the 3 most prominent researchers on primates.

The three scientists who inspired Leakey, has decided to go into the various primates (chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans) environment. Leakey led B. Galdikas  to go to Borneo to study tropical forests of orangutan's species whom have not yet been explored.  Her mission was aimed at studying orangutan to learn more about the nature of human behavior and improve the Leakey legacy, to supplement his scientific knowledge of the facts in orangutans behavior, environment and nutrition. Galdikas scientific community to enrich the value of biodiversity in Indonesia, the tropical forest research, drew attention to the rapid destruction of endangered species of orangutans.

My first years in the field of discovery were years when the discovery was exciting observation event when a watch took a week or longer was a triumph, when everything I started to know about the orangutan everything was new, - said B.Galdikas.

B.Galdikas came to the Borneo rain forest with a mission to investigate orangutan's behavior, to better understand the nature of human behavior. According to B.Galdikas, human beings and orangutan similarities, is the motherly instinct. The orangutan has expressed serious mother-offspring relationship of all mammals. If you look at lonely orangutan adult life, you will see that his preparation for life in the intensive period, which lasts from 7 to 8, usually up to 10 years, is still immature orangutan, male or female without exception all the time interacting with their mother".

At the Indonesian tropical forests B.Galdikas spent 37 years. During these years, orangutan almost disappeared due to the poachers who catch them, and sell people, zoos and laboratories. B.Galdikas in 1990 has helped to recover and return to the motherland six orangutan's juniors who have been smuggled through the removal of Borneo. In collaboration with governments, B.Galdikas has helped to obtain the necessary permits the return of these six young orangutans to their homeland in Indonesia. These orangutans famous and known as the "Bangkok six".

The island also has the nature of the risks. B.Galdikas goal was not only to save the orangutan, but also to preserve the environment in which they live. She tried to save the orangutan and their environment by reading lectures, providing research materials for local residents and the Indonesian people abroad.

Until now B.Galdikas is involved in many major projects on the orangutans and environmental welfare. She retained the Leakey camp, the location, which dwelt she carried out research. She employs a lot of erosion of Borneo forest restoration area. B.Galdikas cares of orphans care center in Borneo. Most importantly she educates and informs people about the "red monkey" importance, convey their knowledge of scientific communities.

1986 to support her work at Camp Leakey and to help support orangutans around the world, Dr. Galdikas and her former doctoral student, Dr. Gary Shapiro, set up Orangutan Foundation International (OFI). Based in Los Angeles, California, OFI has chapters in Australia, Indonesia, and the United Kingdom. She is currently the President of the OFI, Honorary President and Scientific Director.

Since 1986 the International Orangutan Foundation is influential organization supporting research and conservation activities, international cooperation orangutans return to their homeland issues, disseminating knowledge about the orangutan, the tropical forests in the country and abroad, orangutan saving procedures abroad.

1987 according to B.Galdikas recommendations - after enervating fires in Borneo - 76 000 hectares of land have been making the Reserve.

1996 March through the end of March 1998 under a special decree, B.Galdikas served as a Senior Advisor to Indonesia's Ministry of Forestry on orangutan issues.

1997 June, she won the prestigious "Kalpataru" award, the highest honor given by the Republic of Indonesia for outstanding environmental leadership. She is the only person of non-Indonesian birth and one of the first women to be so recognized by the Indonesian government.