Dr. Biruté Mary Galdikas
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, March 24, 2026
Media Contact:
Marcus Foley
Administrative & Development Manager
Orangutan Foundation International
phone: 310.820.4906
email: Marcus.Foley@orangutan.org
DR. BIRUTÉ MARY GALDIKAS PASSES AWAY :
World’s Leading Expert on Orangutans and the Last of Leakey’s Iconic Trimates
Orangutan Foundation International (OFI) sadly announces that Dr. Biruté Mary Galdikas (1946–2026) passed away on March 24th in Los Angeles, California, with loved ones by her side. She courageously battled lung cancer and pulmonary fibrosis, conditions likely exacerbated by her efforts to combat wildfires that ravaged orangutan habitat in Borneo. Dr. Galdikas’ groundbreaking work over fifty-five years established her as an extraordinary scientist, renowned conservationist, and the world’s foremost authority on orangutans.
Dr. Galdikas’ passing marks the end of an era of legendary conservation icons. She was the last surviving member of the “Trimates,” also known as “Leakey’s Angels,” alongside Dr. Jane Goodall and Dr. Dian Fossey, who studied chimpanzees and mountain gorillas, respectively. Mentored by famed paleoanthropologist Dr. Louis Leakey, these pioneering women transformed humanity’s understanding of our closest living relatives.
Historically, Asia’s only great ape, the orangutan, has received less attention than Africa’s great apes. Dr. Galdikas emphasized that while orangutans are not our direct ancestors, they are among our closest living relatives. As she reflected in her autobiography Reflections of Eden (1995), Dr. Galdikas explained they represent a lineage that never left the tropical rainforest.
In 1971, Dr. Galdikas began her pioneering longitudinal study of Bornean orangutans at Camp Leakey, located in the million-acre Tanjung Puting Reserve in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Enduring harsh swamp conditions from before dawn until after dark, she pioneered individual focal follows and documented more about orangutans in her first four years than had ever been known. Her discoveries—including their fruit-based diet, 6–8 year birth intervals, social behaviors, and daily activity patterns—form the foundation of modern orangutan science. Her research constitutes the longest continuous, individually led field study of a single species in the wild, spanning five generations of wild orangutans.
Beyond research, Dr. Galdikas became a trusted partner to the Indonesian government, establishing the country’s first large-scale, long-term orangutan rehabilitation program. Her dedication gave traumatized orphaned orangutans a second chance at life in the wild. Her deep connection to these animals fueled her lifelong mission to protect their fragile existence. She often stated, “Concern for orangutans means concern for the planet.”
Dr. Galdikas was appointed Professor Extraordinaire at the National University (UNAS) in Jakarta in the 1970s and became a full professor at Simon Fraser University in 1981. She mentored hundreds of students from around the world and taught thousands more about human origins, primate behavior, and the great apes. She also helped secure the redesignation of Tanjung Puting Wildlife Reserve as Tanjung Puting National Park. As OFI President, she organized the first Great Apes of the World Conference in 1991, helping elevate orangutans to global prominence. Her efforts contributed to the preservation of one of the largest remaining wild populations.
Her life and work were featured in numerous films, documentaries, and publications, inspiring generations of conservationists. She received many prestigious honors, including the Tyler Prize, the Explorers Club Medal, Officer of the Order of Canada, the Eddie Bauer Hero of the Earth Award, and Indonesia’s Satya Lencana and Kalpataru awards.
Dr. Galdikas’ work in Indonesia now includes a team of over two hundred local staff and a broad educational outreach program, carried out in collaboration with the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry. Her legacy continues through Orangutan Foundation International (OFI) and the Indonesian OFI Foundation, now led by her son, Frederick Bohap Galdikas.
Day and night, Dr. Galdikas devoted her thoughts to the orangutans she loved. Her extended family, colleagues, and the global conservation community remain committed to continuing her mission. In accordance with her wishes, she will be laid to rest in Borneo beside her late husband, Pak Bohap bin Jalan.
Dr. Biruté M. F. Galdikas is survived by her three children—Binti Brindamour, Frederick Bohap Galdikas, and Jane Filomena Galdikas, M.D.—and seven grandchildren.
Rest in peace to the Mother of Orangutans.
By Dr. Nancy Briggs and Marcus Foley
