Birutė Galdikas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Birutė Mary Galdikas
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Galdikas in 2011
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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 Marija Filomena Galdikas, also known as Birutė Mary Galdikas, is a famous scientist. She was born on May 10, 1946. She is from both Lithuania and Canada. Dr. Galdikas is an expert in many fields. These include studying humans (anthropology), primates (primatology), and animal behavior (ethology). She is also a strong supporter of protecting nature.
She teaches at Simon Fraser University. In the world of primate studies, Galdikas is a top expert on orangutans. Before her detailed studies, scientists knew very little 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. They left Lithuania after World War II. When Birutė was two, her family moved to Canada in 1948. Her father worked in copper mining in Quebec. A year later, they moved to Toronto, where Birutė grew up.
As a young girl, Birutė loved thinking about faraway forests. She imagined meeting exotic animals. The first book she borrowed from the Toronto Public Library was about a monkey named Curious George. When she got older, she was inspired by the adventures of Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey. Their stories were often featured in National Geographic magazine.
Education and Early Research
In 1962, Birutė's family moved to Vancouver. There, she met her future husband, Rod Brindamour. Two years later, she started studying at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Her family then moved to the United States. Birutė enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She studied psychology and zoology there.
In 1966, she earned her bachelor's degrees. Both UCLA and UBC awarded them. She married Rod Brindamour and earned her master's degree in anthropology in 1969. This was also from UCLA.
During her studies at UCLA, Galdikas met a famous scientist named Louis Leakey. She shared her idea to study orangutans in their natural homes. Galdikas convinced Leakey to help her, even though he had some doubts at first. Leakey found money from the National Geographic Society. This funding helped set up a research center in Borneo. Her research later became the basis for her doctoral studies. She earned her doctorate in anthropology from UCLA in 1978.
Studying Orangutans in Borneo
In 1971, when she was 25, Galdikas went to Tanjung Puting Reserve. This reserve is in Indonesian Borneo. Her husband, Rod Brindamour, who was a photographer, went with her. 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 near the Java Sea and was named "Camp Leakey". Here, she began her field study on orangutans in Borneo. Before Galdikas's work, orangutans were the least understood of the great apes. Dr. Galdikas greatly increased what scientists knew about orangutan behavior. She also learned about their homes and what they eat.
Orangutan Foundation International
In 1986, Galdikas and her team started the Orangutan Foundation International (OFI). This group is based in Los Angeles, USA. Its goal is to help orangutans around the world. Her second husband, Pak Bohap, helped set up similar groups. These are in Australia, Indonesia, and the United Kingdom. He is also a co-director of the orangutan program in Borneo.
Helping Orangutans and Their Homes
Dr. Galdikas has lived in Borneo for over 40 years. She has become a strong voice for orangutans. She also works to protect their rainforest home. This rainforest is being destroyed quickly. This happens because of logging, palm oil farms, gold miners, and forest fires. While she campaigns for primate protection, Galdikas continues her research. Her study is one of the longest continuous studies of a mammal ever done.
Galdikas's efforts to protect nature go beyond speaking out. She mostly focuses on helping orphaned orangutans. Many of these orphans were once illegal pets. Their owners gave them up when they became too smart and hard to handle. Galdikas helps these orangutans get better. Then, she releases them back into the Borneo rainforest.
She has written several books about her experiences. One is called Reflections of Eden. In this book, Galdikas shares her time at Camp Leakey. She also writes about her work to help orangutans that were once pets.
Galdikas 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 California. In 2021, Dr. Birutė Galdikas became a supporter of the Ancient Woods Foundation. This group works to protect old forests in Lithuania.
Awards and Recognition
Galdikas's work has been featured in many famous magazines. These include Life, The New York Times, and National Geographic. She has been on the cover of National Geographic twice. Her work has also been shown on TV shows. These include 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 very high honor.
In 1997, Galdikas received the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement. She shared this award with Jane Goodall and George Schaller. This prize recognized her amazing field research. It also honored her lifelong work to improve environmental science. 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. This happened when she gave a presentation at the U.N.L.V..
Media
Books by Birutė Galdikas
- Reflections of Eden: My Years with the Orangutans of Borneo (1995)
- Orangutan Odyssey (1999)
- Great Ape Odyssey. (2005). Abrams: New York. ISBN: 978-1-4351-1009-0
Film and Television Appearances
Galdikas is in the documentary film Born to Be Wild 3D, released in 2011. She has also appeared in other documentaries:
- Nature (TV series documentary, 2005)
- Life and Times (TV series documentary, 1996)
- 30 Years of National Geographic Specials (TV documentary, 1995)
- Orangutans: Grasping the Last Branch (documentary, 1989)
- Beauty and the beasts (Channel 4 UK documentary, 1996)
- The Last Trimate (TV documentary, 2008)
- She Walks With Apes (CBC TV documentary, 2019)
- Terry Pratchett's Jungle Quest (documentary, C4, UK 1995)
See also
In Spanish: Birutė Galdikas para niños
- Jeffrey H. Schwartz
- InfiniteEARTH
- List of animal rights advocates
- List of apes
- Timeline of women in science
