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Kusasi was an extraordinary orangutan. Unlike most orangutans living in the wild, he was the star of his own film called “Kusasi: From Orphan to King,” which initially aired on BBC and PBS in 2005, subsequently shown worldwide. Kusasi also became famous as the dominant Camp Leakey adult male orangutan. Kusasi first came to Camp… Continue reading Kusasi: Survivor

The fall of Indonesian President Soeharto’s regime in May 1998 was followed by a period of political and economic instability. As Dr. Galdikas stated at the time, “After [Soeharto’s] government was toppled, there was a power vacuum at the center, and many people realized very quickly that they could now do whatever they wanted.” Illegal… Continue reading Illegal Logging Threatens to Destroy Indonesia’s Forests, Including National Parks

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. OFT and OFI worked to coordinate the return of the Taiwan Ten to Borneo. In mid-September 1990, Dr. Biruté obtained the import… Continue reading Taiwan Ten

Today is International Orangutan Day! In honor of this day, we share a video episode of the podcast Eco Impacters featuring OFI’s President Dr. Biruté Mary Galdikas and Blane Edwards of Orangutan Alliance Australia in a dynamic conversation. Dr. Biruté shares her experience and wisdom gleaned from fifty years of fieldwork in Borneo.  Please enjoy and share… Continue reading Dr. Biruté Mary Galdikas: 50 Years In The Field of Orangutan Research and Conservation

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… Continue reading Akmad – the chosen highlight orangutan of the first decade