Birutė Galdikas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Birutė Mary Galdikas
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Galdikas in 2011
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| Born |
Birutė Marija Filomena Galdikas
10 May 1946 |
| Alma mater | University of California, Los Angeles |
| Known for | Study of orangutans, conservation |
| Children | Binti Paul Galdikas Brindamour (born 1976) Fred Bohap (born 1982) Jane Bohap (born 1985) |
| Awards | Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement (1997) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Primatology, anthropology, ethology |
| Institutions | Simon Fraser University |
| Thesis | Orangutan adaptation at Tanjung Puting Reserve, Central Borneo (1978) |
Birutė Galdikas is a famous scientist from Lithuania and Canada. She was born on May 10, 1946. She studies people (anthropologist), primates like monkeys and apes (primatologist), and how animals behave (ethologist). She also works to protect nature (conservationist). Dr. Galdikas is a professor at Simon Fraser University. She is known as one of the top experts on orangutans. Before she started her research, not much was known about these amazing apes.
Contents
Early Life and Inspiration
Birutė Galdikas was born in Wiesbaden, West Germany, on May 10, 1946. Her parents, Antanas and Filomena Galdikas, were refugees from Lithuania. They had to leave their home after World War II.
When Birutė was two years old, her family moved to Canada in 1948. Her father found work in copper mining in Quebec. A year later, they moved to Toronto, where Birutė grew up. Even as a young child, she dreamed of faraway forests and wild animals.
Her first library book was about a monkey named Curious George. Later, she was inspired by the adventures of Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey. These women were also famous scientists who studied apes in the wild.
Education and Early Research
In 1962, Galdikas's family moved to Vancouver. She started studying at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Later, her family moved to the United States. Birutė then studied psychology and zoology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
She earned her bachelor's degrees in 1966 from both UCLA and UBC. In 1969, she earned her master's degree in anthropology from UCLA. During her studies, Galdikas met a famous scientist named Louis Leakey.
Galdikas shared her idea to study orangutans in their natural homes. Leakey helped her find money from the National Geographic Society. This funding helped set up a research center in Borneo. Her research became the basis for her doctorate degree. She earned her PhD in anthropology from UCLA in 1978.
Studying Orangutans in Borneo
In 1971, when she was 25, Galdikas traveled to Tanjung Puting Reserve in Indonesian Borneo. She was with her husband at the time, Rod Brindamour. Galdikas was one of three women chosen by Louis Leakey to study great apes. These three women were called "The Trimates". The other two were Jane Goodall, who studied chimpanzees, and Dian Fossey, who studied gorillas.
Leakey and the National Geographic Society helped Galdikas set up her research camp. It was called "Camp Leakey" and was near the Java Sea. Before Galdikas's work, orangutans were the least understood of the great apes. Her studies greatly increased what scientists knew about how orangutans behave, where they live, and what they eat.
Protecting Orangutans
In 1986, Galdikas and her team started the Orangutan Foundation International (OFI). This group helps orangutans all over the world. Her second husband, Pak Bohap, helped set up similar groups in Australia, Indonesia, and the United Kingdom. He also helps lead the orangutan program in Borneo.
Galdikas has lived in Borneo for over 40 years. She is a strong voice for orangutans and their rainforest homes. These forests are being destroyed by logging, palm oil farms, and gold mining. She continues her research, which is one of the longest studies of a mammal ever done.
Her efforts to protect orangutans also include helping orphaned orangutans. Many of these young apes were once illegal pets. When they became too big or smart for their owners, they were given to Galdikas for care. She helps them learn how to live in the wild again.
Galdikas has written several books about her experiences. One of them is called Reflections of Eden. In this book, she shares her time at Camp Leakey and her work to help orangutans return to the Borneo rainforest.
She is a professor at Simon Fraser University in Canada. She is also a professor at Universitas Nasional in Indonesia. She leads the Orangutan Foundation International in Los Angeles, California. In 2021, Dr. Galdikas became a supporter of the Ancient Woods Foundation. This group works to protect old-growth forests in Lithuania.
Awards and Recognition
Birutė Galdikas's work has been featured in many famous magazines. These include Life and National Geographic, where she appeared on the cover twice. Her work has also been shown on TV shows hosted by Steve Irwin and Jeff Corwin on Animal Planet.
In 1995, Galdikas was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. This is a high honor in Canada.
In 1997, Galdikas received the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement. She shared this award with Jane Goodall and George Schaller. This prize recognized her important research and her lifelong work to help the environment. Other awards she has received include:
- Indonesia's Hero for the Earth Award (Kalpataru)
- United Nations Global 500 Award (1993)
- Elizabeth II Commemorative Medal
- Eddie Bauer Hero of the Earth (1991)
- PETA Humanitarian Award (1990)
- Sierra Club Chico Mendes Award (1992)
In 2009, she received a key to the city of Las Vegas, Nevada.
Media Appearances
Books by Birutė Galdikas
- Reflections of Eden: My Years with the Orangutans of Borneo (1995)
- Orangutan Odyssey (1999)
- Great Ape Odyssey (2005)
Film and Television
Galdikas was in the documentary film Born to Be Wild 3D, which came out in 2011. She has also appeared in several other documentaries, including:
- Nature (2005)
- Life and Times (1996)
- 30 Years of National Geographic Specials (1995)
- Orangutans: Grasping the Last Branch (1989)
- Beauty and the beasts (1996)
- The Last Trimate (2008)
- She Walks With Apes (2019)
- Terry Pratchett's Jungle Quest (1995)
Images for kids
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Galdikas in 2011
See also
In Spanish: Birutė Galdikas para niños
