Arrival in Eden

Biruté Mary Galdikas and Rod Brindamour arrived at what became Camp Leakey after a full day's boat journey up the Sekonyer River. They were accompanied by three Indonesian government officials and a local cook.

Early Days in the Forest

The 1970s were spent in the forest with wild orangutans. Every day I would get up early and go into the forest, either by myself or…..

The First Lady: Akmad

About three weeks after arrival in Borneo, Biruté met the wild born orangutan named Akmad, who had just been captured by illegal loggers in the local area. Biruté's former husband Rod Brindamour and local Forestry officials confiscated Akmad and brought her to Camp Leakey for rehabilitation and safe release.

The Significance of Akmad

"Akmad impacted me not only because she was the first orangutan female whom we rescued but also because of her very genteel and serene nature. She was a wild orangutan who had not been kept in captivity for very long. She was also a local girl in the sense that she was captured by illegal loggers within the Sekonyer River area."

Beth

After almost two months of working in the Camp Leakey study area, Biruté successfully followed a wild orangutan, Beth, and her infant Bert for five days straight. This was the first time that Biruté was able to arrive at the night nest of a wild orangutan whom she had located the previous day before the orangutan left the nest the following morning. This was a first major success in her wild orangutan research because it indicated that orangutans could be observed for more than just one day at a time.

Early Encounters with Wild Orangutans

"The early encounters with wild orangutans seemed surreal. I found it hard to believe that I was actually in the Borneo forest observing wild orangutans. When following wild orangutans by myself it was possible to have interactions that could not be duplicated in the presence of other people.…..

Hunger in the Forest

"The humidity was unbearable. The heat was unbearable. The sweat just poured and the fat seemingly melted out of my pores. I became very thin. I was hungry most of the time but I was so afraid of …..

First Indonesian Students

Biruté welcomed her first Indonesian students from the Faculty of Biology at Universitas Nasional, Jakarta in 1974. The students began data collection under Biruté’s supervision for their “Sarjana” theses which are the equivalent of an honors undergraduate degree. Over the years Biruté supervised well over one hundred Indonesian students, a number of whom went on to get their PhDs worldwide.

Born to Study Orangutans

"I was born to study orangutans because they, like me, are of the great forest."

National Geographic

Biruté Galdikas, “Orangutans: Indonesia’s People of the Forest,” National Geographic - This iconic image was featured on the cover containing a story written by Biruté with photos taken by Rod Brindamour. Camp Leakey was an oasis of peace and calm for the wild born ex-captive orangutans because human activity had not yet penetrated very much in the area.

Binti

Biruté and Rod's son Binti Brindamour was born. Binti spent the first years of his life at Camp Leakey with his parents and the orangutans.

Princess

Orangutan Princess arrived in Camp Leakey. She was about a year old at arrival and made friends with the other infant orangutans at Camp as well as Binti. Biruté worked with then-graduate student Gary Shapiro who was teaching American Sign Language (ASL) to wild born ex-captive orangutans from 1978-1980. Princess became famous for her intelligence and ASL communication skills.

A Culmination of Effort

Dr. Galdikas was awarded a Doctorate of Anthropology from UCLA. Her PhD Thesis Dissertation titled ORANGUTAN ADAPTATION AT TANJUNG PUTING RESERVE, CENTRAL BORNEO was published.

Living in Eden

"At the end of the 1970s, after seven and a half years, my former husband Rod Brindamour left Borneo because he wanted to continue his education in North America. Overall the memories of my experience of the 1970s were of a peaceful, even magical world. It was still an undisturbed, primeval world that resembled a Garden of Eden..."

Scientific Prestige

Dr. Biruté published her first primatological research article in the journal Science, one of the most well-respected peer-reviewed scientific journals in the world to this day. The article, titled “Orangutan Death and Scavenging by Pigs,” described evidence of Bornean bearded pigs scavenging on orangutan carcasses and explored the implications of these findings on what we know about ape fossil records.

Living with the Great Orange Apes

National Geographic Magazine published Dr. Biruté’s second cover story, “Living with the Great Orange Apes,” in June 1980. The cover featured the iconic photo of her son Binti and orphaned orangutan Princess, making Biruté and Binti the only mother and son pair ever individually featured on separate covers of National Geographic Magazine. Biruté’s article highlighted scientific findings from over 12,000 hours of orangutan observations that had taken place over eight years:

"We have now cataloged more than 300 different orangutan food types, fleshed out orangutan social structure, documented the mating system, mapped foraging strategies and patterns of ranging, and charted orangutan development in the wild."

Professor Biruté

Newly minted PhD Dr. Biruté began work as a Visiting Professor at Simon Fraser University (SFU) in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada and briefly as an Adjunct Professor at University of New Mexico (UNM) at the same time. In 1989, Dr. Biruté became the first woman hired as a Full Professor from the start in the history of Simon Fraser University, where she continues teaching to this day.

A Growing Family

After Rod Brindamour left Borneo, he and Dr. Biruté divorced. Biruté married Pak Bohap, a local indigenous Dayak “elder” (a status, not an age) who had worked as a research assistant at Camp Leakey in the 1970s. Pak Bohap remains an integral part of OFI’s field operations to this day. Biruté and Pak Bohap have now been married over 40 years.

Trimates on Tour

Dr. Galdikas, Dr. Jane Goodall, and Dr. Dian Fossey, known as the “Trimates,” embarked on joint lectures across North America in collaboration with The Leakey Foundation and the American Museum of Natural History. This tour brought massive global attention to their academic achievements and conservation work.

Tanjung Puting Gains Protection

Thanks partially to Dr. Biruté’s persistent campaigning, the Indonesian government upgraded the designation of Tanjung Puting from a Wildlife Reserve to a National Park in 1982 (effective 1983). This afforded the environment critical protection from logging and mining, and laid the foundation for it to become a key ecotourist destination providing local employment.

Student Spotlight: Edy Hendras

During the 1980s, Indonesian students from Universitas Nasional (UNAS) continued to collect data under Dr. Biruté’s supervision. Pak Edy Hendras, who first worked at the camp in 1983, returned as a staff member in 1987 to spearhead OFI’s nascent conservation program in local schools and villages. He remains active today as the editor of OFI's newsletter *Pesan Dari Alam*.

Guggenheim Fellow

In 1983, Dr. Biruté received the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation in recognition of her exceptional scientific achievements. This fellowship directly helped fund vital field research and conservation operations at Camp Leakey for the entire year.

Earthwatch

The first of many Earthwatch expeditions took place at Camp Leakey in 1984, bringing global volunteers to gather behavioral data alongside the expert local field team. Over a ten-year span, 74 teams comprising over 820 people participated, generating decades of advocacy and future board leadership.

First Mother: Siswoyo

"In the mid 1970s, two retired Indonesian Army Generals, one of whom had been the very popular Chief of Police for all of Indonesia, gave me their four orangutans..."

Orangutan Foundation International is Born

In late 1979, US Justice Department lawyer John Beal visited Camp Leakey. Upon returning to the United States, he collaborated with Dr. Biruté to establish the Orangutan Foundation in Los Angeles, which was later registered legally as a 501(c)3 public foundation named **Orangutan Foundation International (OFI)** in 1986, scaling up dedicated operations for ecosystem preservation.

Seminal Studies

Dr. Biruté authored approximately two dozen core publications detailing breakthrough ecological discoveries during this decade. These breakthrough works on primate tool use, foraging, social dynamics, and reproductive timelines were published across elite journals like the *Journal of Human Evolution*, *Primates*, and *Current Anthropology*, heavily anchoring modern primatological theory.

Tanjung Harapan

OFI established a dedicated rehabilitation release camp at Tanjung Harapan inside the park boundaries in 1989 at the request of the Park Authority. This zone and accompanying release properties have been completely central to the successful return of almost 900 wild-born ex-captive orangutans back to secure wild canopies.

Threats to the Park Escalate

"In the 1970s the situation facing orangutans and the existence of rainforest seemed somewhat bleak. Little did I know! The situation in the 70s was actually the calm before the storm. Suddenly, ..."

Bangkok Six

Hundreds of orangutans were smuggled to fuel the exotic pet trade from the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra to areas far beyond orangutan native range in the 1980s and 1990s. In 1990, the Royal Thai Forestry seized six infant orangutans at the Bangkok Airport who were in the process of being smuggled...

Humanitarian Award from PETA

On September 15, 1990, Biruté was one of 15 recipients of a Humanitarian Award from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). She was the only scientist to be honored with the award that year. She was recognized for her nearly two decades of dedication to orangutan research and conservation in Indonesia, including her help in rescuing the Bangkok Six earlier in 1990. She accepted the award from Borneo through a recording played at the black-tie gala.

Orangutan Foundation Taiwan

Due largely to the portrayal of orangutans as delightful pets on Taiwanese television, a significant portion of the orangutans smuggled out of Borneo and Sumatra in the 1990s wound up in Taiwan. OFI established a sister organization, Orangutan Foundation Taiwan, aggressively pursuing outreach activities to educate the public about the severe harms of the exotic pet trade.

When Taiwan passed a law in 1991 banning the import of all primates, OFI and OFTaiwan were credited with being instrumental in pushing the law through. OFTaiwan ran clinics allowing private owners to bring their orangutans in for free health guidance, medical screenings, and disease tracking.

Taiwan Ten

Nine young wild-born captive orangutans whom Taiwanese officials had confiscated and one young orangutan whom Orangutan Foundation Taiwan (OFT) acquired for repatriation became known as the “Taiwan Ten” in the early 1990s....

An Indomitable Spirit

While Dr. Biruté does not speak of this publicly, she endured significant personal threats due to her environmental activism. In response, the Indonesian government assigned two police officers to remain with her 24/7 for three years straight, tracking alongside her even through deep peat forest swamps to protect her role as an obstacle against industrial exploitation of the virgin park forests.

Great Apes International Conference

At the request of the government, OFI organized an international conference opened by President Soeharto at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta. The summit brought together prominent global scientists like Dr. Jane Goodall to align information on great apes, shifting later to Pangkalan Bun and Camp Leakey to illustrate the sustainable economic tourism potential of preserving native Bornean fauna.

Global Recognition

Dr. Galdikas received a Global 500 Environmental Achievement Award from the United Nations, meeting with US Vice President Al Gore. Following their discussion, Vice President Gore actively corresponded with Indonesian officials to underscore the international significance of protecting tropical ecosystems.

Pondok Tanggui

OFI and Indonesia’s Forest Protection and Nature Conservation agency (PHPA) established Pondok Tanggui as a fresh release site between Camp Leakey and Tanjung Harapan. It offered an excellent canopy transition site for juveniles and adolescents to embrace a wild lifestyle, keeping direct human interaction to an absolute minimum.

Employee Spotlight: Ibu Renie

Deep inside the hustle of Jakarta, the quiet OFI base serves as a staging hub for teams heading out to Borneo. Ibu Renie Djojoasmoro manages the critical workflow inside the central branch office, serving as an irreplaceable conduit for volunteers and international organizational logistics.

Reflections of Eden

Dr. Galdikas’ critically acclaimed autobiography, *Reflections of Eden: My Years with the Orangutans of Borneo*, was published globally. Translated into many languages and moving thousands of copies worldwide, the work generated immense public awareness regarding habitat preservation challenges and ape biology.

25 Years in the Field

OFI hosted a major milestone gala celebrating Dr. Galdikas' 25 years of continuous research and preservation field operations. The high-profile event successfully generated vital financial support tracks for onward program development.

Kusasi: Survivor

Kusasi first arrived at Camp Leakey as a scrawny, rescued infant in 1978. He grew to become an extraordinary, dominant alpha male of the camp grounds, and later captured hearts globally as the central star of the BBC/PBS documentary feature film *Kusasi: From Orphan to King*.

Government Advisor

Dr. Galdikas served as Senior Advisor to Indonesia's Minister of Forestry, successfully advocating for the protection of expired concessions to establish the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve. Spanning over 188,000 acres, this protected ecosystem effectively blocked industrial palm oil development and safeguards a massive population of wild orangutans.

“Hero for the Environment”

Dr. Galdikas became the first non-Indonesian born citizen to receive the nation’s prestigious *Kalpataru Award*, recognizing her formally as a definitive “Hero for the Environment.” The award was presented directly by Indonesian President Soeharto.

Julia in Borneo

Acclaimed actor Julia Roberts journeyed to Borneo to shoot an educational PBS documentary highlighting the critical conservation landscape. Walking through swamp networks alongside the OFI team, she bonded heavily with rehabilitating infants and later joined OFI’s Honorary Board of Directors to continue championing their protection values.

The Rise of Palm Oil and Massive Fires in Borneo

Devastating wildfires tracking across 1997 and 1998 hit drained peatlands and clearings hard, forming a major ecological crisis. The structural haze overwhelmed safety metrics, causing widespread infant orangutan displacement. Heavy seasonal rainfall columns across the spring of 1998 eventually subdued the catastrophic burns, but left long-term rehabilitation infrastructure demands behind.

Opening of the Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine

OFI officially launched the **Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine (OCCQ)** in Central Kalimantan to supply critical medical support pathways. Initially planned for modest intake limits, the rapid wildfire displacements immediately forced expanded builds, helping rescue and return safe animal blocks in coordination with regional authorities.

View of the veterinary center and office building of the Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine (OCCQ), current times

Second Great Apes Conference

Dr. Galdikas co-organized the *Great Apes of the World* conference in Kuching, Sarawak, leading to the designation of two critical forest sectors as Ulu Sebuyau National Park and Sedilu National Park to safeguard regional biodiversity tracks.

Illegal Logging Threatens Protected Parks

Following regional political layout changes in mid-1998, an organized commercial logging expansion pressured park borders. OFI active field units scaled monitoring routines drastically to shield the virgin stands from environmental fractures.

Orangutan Odyssey

Dr. Biruté published the iconic coffee table volume *Orangutan Odyssey* with Nancy Briggs, carrying high-performance nature photography frames by Karl Ammann directly into global households to push active preservation support metrics.

Honors and Awards Matrix

"Against incredible odds, the indomitable spirit of Biruté Galdikas has added years of hope to the survival of one of humankind’s closest primate relatives..." Anthony D. Ruckel, President of The Sierra Club (Chico Mendes Award Presentation)

• Humanitarian Award, PETA (1990)
• Hero for the Earth Award, Eddie Bauer (1991)
• Global 500 Roll of Honour, United Nations Environment Programme (1993)
• Chico Mendes Award, The Sierra Club (1993)
• Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Medal, Canada (1994)
• Officer, Order of Canada (1995)
• Kalpataru Award, “Hero for the Environment,” Indonesia (1997)
• Tyler Prize for World Environmental Science Achievement (1997)

Scientific Publications Record

• *Great Ape and Human Birth Intervals*, American Journal of Physical Anthropology (1990)
• *Sociobiology in Primatology*, The Sociobiological Imagination (1991)
• *On the Comparison of Primate Social Systems*, Current Anthropology (1991)
• *Imitation in Free-ranging Rehabilitant Orangutans* (Russon & Galdikas), Journal of Comparative Psychology (1993)
• *A Preliminary Study of Food Selection by the Orangutan* (Hamilton & Galdikas), Primates (1994)
• *Early Sign Performance in a Free-ranging, Adult Orangutan* (Shapiro & Galdikas) (1999)