{"id":326946,"date":"2026-04-20T15:47:52","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T15:47:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.natgeokids.com\/uk\/?p=326946"},"modified":"2026-04-28T11:24:25","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T11:24:25","slug":"birute-galdikas-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.natgeokids.com\/nz\/discover\/science\/nature\/birute-galdikas-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"Dr. Birut\u00e9 Galdikas interview!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Meet <strong>Dr. Birut\u00e9 Galdikas<\/strong>! She&#8217;s a <strong>primatologist<\/strong> who spent her career studying <a href=\"https:\/\/www.natgeokids.com\/uk\/discover\/animals\/general-animals\/ten-facts-about-orang-utans\/\" type=\"post\" id=\"711\"><strong>orangutans<\/strong><\/a> in the forests of <strong>Borneo<\/strong>, <strong>Indonesia<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Her discoveries changed the way we think about these <strong>shy apes<\/strong>, and her conservation work led to hundreds of<strong> young orangutans <\/strong>being <strong>reintroduced to the wild<\/strong>!  Find out more in our Birut\u00e9 Galdikas interview&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who is Birut\u00e9 Galdikas?<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.creatureandcoagency.com\/uploads\/2026\/04\/BiruteGaldikasInterview-Headshot.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"345\" height=\"410\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.creatureandcoagency.com\/uploads\/2026\/04\/BiruteGaldikasInterview-Headshot.jpg\" alt=\"birute galdikas interview | a decorative image of Birute, showing her head and shoulders. She has grey, shoulder-length hair and is wearing sunglasses and a green flowered shawl.\" class=\"wp-image-327056\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>Name: <\/strong>Dr. Birut\u00e9 Mary Galdikas<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Born:<\/strong> 10 May 1946<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Died:<\/strong> 24 March 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>From:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.natgeokids.com\/nz\/discover\/geography\/countries\/facts-about-canada\/\" type=\"post\" id=\"878\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Canada<\/a>, North America<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Lived:<\/strong> Borneo, Indonesia, Southeast Asia<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Studied<\/strong>: Psychology, zoology, anthropology<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Famous for:<\/strong> Conducting the world&#8217;s longest continuous study of wild orangutans and discovering many important facts about their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What did Dr. Birut\u00e9 Galdikas&#8217; discover?<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.creatureandcoagency.com\/uploads\/2026\/04\/BiruteGaldikasInterview-BiruteInForest.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"635\" height=\"410\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.creatureandcoagency.com\/uploads\/2026\/04\/BiruteGaldikasInterview-BiruteInForest.jpg\" alt=\"a young Birute looks up through the forest canopy. She's holding binoculars in her hand and a young orangutan sits on her hip.\" class=\"wp-image-327054\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Most of what we know about orangutans is thanks to Dr. Galdikas&#8217; <strong>immersive<\/strong> <strong>research<\/strong>. Here are some of the things she&#8217;s observed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li> &#8211; Orangutans eat over <strong>400 types of food<\/strong>!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8211; Baby orangutans stay with their mothers for <strong>7.7 years <\/strong>\u2013&nbsp;the longest &#8216;birth interval&#8217; of any mammals<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8211; <strong>Rehabilitated ex-captive orangutans <\/strong>can use various types of <strong>tools <\/strong>and <strong>imitate <\/strong>behaviours<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8211; Orangutans lead <strong>semi-solitary lives <\/strong>and <strong>rarely mate<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8211; <strong>Females stay in one place <\/strong>whereas <strong>males <\/strong>tend to <strong>leave<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Birut\u00e9 Galdikas interview<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>NGK: Hi, Dr. Galdikas! Can you remember when you first became drawn to orangutans?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Birut\u00e9: When I was an adolescent I saw a very distinctive <strong>photograph <\/strong>of a sub-adult male orangutan in<strong> <\/strong>a <strong><em>Time Life <\/em>book<\/strong>. If you looked at him from his lower lip up, he could have been <strong>human<\/strong>. The <strong>eyes<\/strong>, his <strong>expression<\/strong>. When I saw that photograph, I felt a <strong>connection <\/strong>that has always stayed with me. <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.creatureandcoagency.com\/uploads\/2026\/04\/BiruteGaldikasInterview-OrangutanPortrait.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"635\" height=\"410\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.creatureandcoagency.com\/uploads\/2026\/04\/BiruteGaldikasInterview-OrangutanPortrait.jpg\" alt=\"a young male orangutan looks directly into the camera with large, serious eyes. His arm is wrapped around a branch in the foreground.\" class=\"wp-image-327085\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>After 50 years studying them, how would you best describe orangutans? <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>In many ways they&#8217;re like animals created by <strong>Walt Disney<\/strong>! They&#8217;re <strong>gentle<\/strong>, and have a <strong>sense of humour <\/strong>and <strong>distinct personalities<\/strong>. You can usually read what their <strong>emotions <\/strong>are. Their <strong>expressions <\/strong>are very accessible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Did you know? In the Malaysian language, orangutan means &#8216;person of the forest&#8217;.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>After university, you were determined to study orangutans in the wild. How did this come about?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>At <strong>19<\/strong>, I already knew about <strong>Jane Goodall <\/strong>\u2013 my professor had mentioned a young <strong>English woman <\/strong>who was <strong>living with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.natgeokids.com\/nz\/discover\/animals\/general-animals\/10-chimpanzee-facts\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.natgeokids.com\/nz\/discover\/animals\/general-animals\/10-chimpanzee-facts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">chimpanzees<\/a><\/strong> in <strong>Africa<\/strong>. (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.natgeokids.com\/nz\/discover\/animals\/general-animals\/jane-goodall-interview\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.natgeokids.com\/nz\/discover\/animals\/general-animals\/jane-goodall-interview\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Click here to learn about Jane Goodall<\/em><\/a>). I knew Jane had been encouraged and supported by a scientist called <strong>Louis Leakey<\/strong>, so I went to see him give a <strong>lecture<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.creatureandcoagency.com\/uploads\/2026\/04\/BiruteGaldikasInterview-LouisLeakey.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"635\" height=\"410\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.creatureandcoagency.com\/uploads\/2026\/04\/BiruteGaldikasInterview-LouisLeakey.jpg\" alt=\"a black-and-white photo of Louis Leakey, a white man with white hair. He's wearing a polo shirt and sits in front of a row of ape skulls.\" class=\"wp-image-327058\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Louis Leakey, who helped fund research into great apes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>At this talk I learned that he also supported <strong>Diane Fossey <\/strong>and her work with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.natgeokids.com\/nz\/discover\/animals\/general-animals\/gorilla-facts\/\" type=\"post\" id=\"212899\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">gorillas<\/a>. He was a great <strong>showman <\/strong>and at one point he <strong>hammered his shirt pocket <\/strong>and said he had JUST received a telegram from Diane Fossey about a <strong>wild gorilla untying her shoelaces<\/strong>! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That&#8217;s when I knew this was the man who was going to unlock the universe for me. And that&#8217;s why I went up to him after the lecture and asked him to support me in my wish to <strong>study orangutans <\/strong>in the wild. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How did he respond? <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>He had been looking for somebody to study orangutans. And I walked into his life and said, &#8220;Will you help me study orangutans?&#8221; So that was that. He said, &#8220;<strong>You are my person. I&#8217;m going to help you.<\/strong>&#8221; <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.creatureandcoagency.com\/uploads\/2026\/04\/BiruteGaldikasInterview-Trimates.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"635\" height=\"410\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.creatureandcoagency.com\/uploads\/2026\/04\/BiruteGaldikasInterview-Trimates.jpg\" alt=\"three women stand against a brick wall. Birute, on the right, wears jeans and a tshirt, while Jane Goodall, centre, wears a green dress, and Diane Fossey, left, wears a collared shirt and trousers\" class=\"wp-image-327062\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dr. Birut\u00e9 Galdikas (right) and her fellow primatologists Jane Goodall (middle) and Diane Fossey (left) were known as the Trimates!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>In 1971, you travelled to Borneo in Southeast Asia to set up Camp Leakey, a research centre in Tanjung Puting National Park. What was it like? <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>It was almost like a <strong>dream<\/strong>. It was so <strong>surreal <\/strong>that I was actually there in <strong>Indonesia <\/strong>and yet I had this <strong>feeling<\/strong>, like I was <strong>coming home.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What was a typical day like?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The approach was similar to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.natgeokids.com\/nz\/discover\/animals\/general-animals\/jane-goodall-interview\/\" type=\"post\" id=\"29818\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Jane Goodall<\/a>&#8216;s. I <strong>followed the orangutans <\/strong>when I found them until they made a <strong>nest <\/strong>for the night. And then I would <strong>return in the morning before dawn <\/strong>to watch them leave the nest. I would follow them <strong>day in, day out<\/strong>. There was a female we followed for <strong>30 days <\/strong>and one male that we followed for <strong>60 days<\/strong>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What were you trying<\/strong> <strong>to discover? <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>We were trying to gather <strong>all the details <\/strong>of an orangutan&#8217;s life. We wanted to understand their <strong>ecology<\/strong>, what they <strong>ate<\/strong>, and their <strong>social behaviour<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Was it hard to follow them? <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>They <strong>don&#8217;t move that fast<\/strong>. Studies show the amount of <strong>energy <\/strong>orangutans use when they <strong>move through the canopy <\/strong>is about <strong>the same as we humans use sitting on our couches watching TV<\/strong>! <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.creatureandcoagency.com\/uploads\/2026\/04\/BiruteGaldikasInterview-OrangutanFamily.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"635\" height=\"410\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.creatureandcoagency.com\/uploads\/2026\/04\/BiruteGaldikasInterview-OrangutanFamily.jpg\" alt=\"a small family of orangutans in the trees, including a female with a baby clinging to her tummy and a youngster perched in the tree beside them\" class=\"wp-image-327060\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>So are they up in the trees the whole time?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Orangutans spend <strong>95% of their time up in the canopy<\/strong>. They&#8217;re the <strong>largest arboreal creatures on the planet. <\/strong>An orangutan <strong>might stay in one tree for up to eight hours<\/strong>, where you can <strong>barely see them<\/strong>, so following an orangutan isn&#8217;t necessarily the most exciting thing in the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I have to admit that sometimes I would <strong>read murder mysteries <\/strong>while waiting for them to leave their nests!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Haha! Were there any interactions between you and them? <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Initially yes. They would &#8216;<strong>kiss squeak<\/strong>&#8216; [a threat sound], they would <strong>throw branches<\/strong>, they would <strong>defecate<\/strong>. I never got hit but my former husband who was with me in the beginning once got <strong>hit in the eye<\/strong>! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Oops, oh dear!<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>They could be <strong>hostile<\/strong>. They would <strong>throw dead tree branches<\/strong> and <strong>push over dead trees<\/strong>, which could be dangerous. Sometimes they would <strong>stare <\/strong>and <strong>stare<\/strong>. But different orangutans would react differently and had different &#8216;<strong>rules<\/strong>&#8216;. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>So they had distinct personalities? <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Absolutely. But because <strong>they didn&#8217;t really interact with each other <\/strong>that much, you couldn&#8217;t easily get a sense of their social behaviours. They are mostly <strong>solitary animals<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.creatureandcoagency.com\/uploads\/2026\/04\/BiruteGaldikasInterview-MaleOrangutan.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"635\" height=\"410\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.creatureandcoagency.com\/uploads\/2026\/04\/BiruteGaldikasInterview-MaleOrangutan.jpg\" alt=\"a large male orangutan stretches out in the trees\" class=\"wp-image-327059\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Names were given to almost all the orangutans Dr. Galdikas studied. This adult male was called Tom!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How long did it take for the wild orangutans to get used to you? <\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, I remember one <strong>old female <\/strong>whose name was <strong>Priscilla<\/strong>. It took her about <strong>15 years<\/strong>! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Wow, that&#8217;s a long time!<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>males <\/strong>usually take <strong>less time<\/strong>. It depends on the <strong>individual<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Does orangutans&#8217; solitary nature make them difficult to study?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Yes <\/strong>&#8211; in fact, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.natgeokids.com\/nz\/discover\/animals\/general-animals\/jane-goodall-interview\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.natgeokids.com\/nz\/discover\/animals\/general-animals\/jane-goodall-interview\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Jane Goodall<\/a> <\/strong>once said <strong>it took me a year <\/strong>to collect the kinds of social data that she could collect in a <strong>day <\/strong>with <strong>chimpanzees<\/strong>, who are much more <strong>gregarious <\/strong>and <strong>social<\/strong>. I remember I once had an Indonesian student who wanted to study <strong>mating behaviour<\/strong>. He was there for <strong>six months <\/strong>and he only saw <strong>one incidence <\/strong>of mating! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is that because they don&#8217;t have babies very often?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>That&#8217;s right. Orangutans have the <strong>longest birth interval of any mammal <\/strong>that has been studied. In my area they only have a baby on average once every <strong>eight years<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Are the mothers and babies very close?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>A baby stays with its mother for the first <strong>7-8 years of life<\/strong>, until she gives birth to the next infant. Sometimes the baby will <strong>suckle <\/strong>until the age of <strong>seven<\/strong>, but while it&#8217;s with her it <strong>learns<\/strong> <strong>what foods to eat<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.creatureandcoagency.com\/uploads\/2026\/04\/BiruteGaldikasInterview-OrangutanBaby.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"635\" height=\"410\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.creatureandcoagency.com\/uploads\/2026\/04\/BiruteGaldikasInterview-OrangutanBaby.jpg\" alt=\"a baby orangutan swings from a twig in the rainforest\" class=\"wp-image-327083\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Do they then move away? <\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Females usually live in their <strong>mother&#8217;s range <\/strong>for their <strong>entire lives<\/strong>, but they won&#8217;t stay <em>with <\/em>her. One of the things I noticed is that <strong>all females look very much alike. <\/strong>And we did a <strong>genetics study <\/strong>recently which seems to suggest that females in this area were all on average as closely related as <strong>cousins<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What about the males? <\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>When males reach <strong>puberty <\/strong>they start <strong>travelling<\/strong> and most of the time they <strong>leave<\/strong>. So males aren&#8217;t as closely related. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">After you arrived, as well as studying wild orangutans, you began looking after rescued ex-captive orangutans. Were they being kept as pets?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>You wouldn&#8217;t call them <strong>pets <\/strong>exactly \u2013 if you have a sub-adult male orangutan, he&#8217;s not going to be a pet! He would be in a cage. But <strong>some females<\/strong>, even adults, can be quite <strong>friendly<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I became very friendly with some of the females who were <strong>rehabilitated at Camp Leakey<\/strong>. Some even became my <strong>best friends<\/strong>. They&#8217;d go away into the forest for days, but they would still come back and <strong>sit on my porch <\/strong>with me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Wild-born ex-captive orangutans have been seen using paintbrushes, pushing themselves along in canoes, trying to make fires and using ladders!<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Wow! Did you look after orphans, too?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes. Sadly, as the <strong>rainforests are ravaged<\/strong>, people <strong>kill the mothers <\/strong>and <strong>take the infants for the pet trade<\/strong>. These orphans come to us after they are <strong>confiscated <\/strong>from <strong>private owners <\/strong>by <strong>government <\/strong>officials. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Local people <\/strong>may also bring their captive orangutans to us after realising that it&#8217;s <strong>illegal to keep them<\/strong>, or because they&#8217;re too much trouble to <strong>look after<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>And so you became their adoptive mother? <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>That&#8217;s right. I have always tried to <strong>replicate the experiences <\/strong>that orangutan <strong>infants <\/strong>and <strong>youngsters <\/strong>have in the <strong>wild<\/strong>. When I first started, <strong>5-6 infants stayed in the hut <\/strong>at Camp Leakey with me and they would just <strong>follow me around the forests <\/strong>in the day and then <strong>come back with me at night<\/strong>. Some of the orphans would <strong>sleep on the same mattress<\/strong> as me! But by 1998 there were so many orphans that we opened a specialised <strong>orangutan care centre<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">More than 800 orphaned and ex-captive orangutans have been rescued and rehabilitated by Dr. Galdikas.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.creatureandcoagency.com\/uploads\/2026\/04\/BiruteGaldikasInterview-BiruteAndFemale.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"635\" height=\"410\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.creatureandcoagency.com\/uploads\/2026\/04\/BiruteGaldikasInterview-BiruteAndFemale.jpg\" alt=\"birute galdikas interview | birute sits beside a female orangutan on the step of her hut\" class=\"wp-image-327052\" style=\"width:635px;height:auto\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hanging out with Siswi on the porch!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">You must have formed some strong connections. Can you share stories about any memorable orangutans?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, the first female who came to Camp Leakey as a <strong>wild-born ex-captive <\/strong>was named <strong>Akmad<\/strong>. She was so <strong>gentle<\/strong>. Other orangutans would <strong>come into my hut and trash it<\/strong>, but once she came in and carefully picked up a bag of <strong>peanuts <\/strong>before walking out again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I hadn&#8217;t seen her for many years and then one day she came by Camp Leakey, <strong>briefly walked around <\/strong>and <strong>left<\/strong>. i think she had come to <strong>say goodbye <\/strong>&#8211; I never saw her again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">That&#8217;s so sad.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes. But it&#8217;s also so <strong>joyful <\/strong>when you release <strong>them back into the wild<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How does that process happen?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The infants are first <strong>quarantined <\/strong>for <strong>30 days<\/strong>, and we have <strong>four Indonesian vets <\/strong>who monitor their health. We have sleeping cages for them and over <strong>100 hectares <\/strong>(<strong>250 acres<\/strong>) <strong>of forest <\/strong>for them to play in during the day. Local caregivers become their <strong>surrogate mothers<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Typically, healthy infants stay until they&#8217;re at least <strong>eight<\/strong> \u2013 the age they leave their mothers in the wild. Then, <strong>when they&#8217;re ready<\/strong>, we try to release them.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.creatureandcoagency.com\/uploads\/2026\/04\/BiruteGaldikasInterview-YoungBirute.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"261\" height=\"410\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.creatureandcoagency.com\/uploads\/2026\/04\/BiruteGaldikasInterview-YoungBirute.jpg\" alt=\"a young Birute walks through the forest carrying a young orangutan in her arms. Another walks ahead of her, while a third clings to her leg.\" class=\"wp-image-327063\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Dr. Galdikas has been an adopted mother to many orphaned orangutans<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is it difficult to find places to release them because of deforestation?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, that&#8217;s the problem. You can <strong>travel for hours and hours <\/strong>and not see forests any more &#8211; only <strong>palm oil plantations. <\/strong>(<a href=\"https:\/\/www.natgeokids.com\/nz\/discover\/geography\/general-geography\/what-is-palm-oil\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.natgeokids.com\/nz\/discover\/geography\/general-geography\/what-is-palm-oil\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Click here to learn more about palm oil.<\/em><\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Do you feel hopeful about the future? <\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>I am <strong>hopeful <\/strong>&#8211; because that&#8217;s the <strong>human way<\/strong>. But you can have all the hope in the world and if there&#8217;s <strong>no action <\/strong>it isn&#8217;t going to get you anywhere. So some things you can do are <strong>avoid palm oil<\/strong>, <strong>avoid meat<\/strong>, <strong>stay aware <\/strong>of what&#8217;s happening and <strong>write letters <\/strong>to politicians. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Great tips. Thank you for speaking with us Dr. Galdikas!<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to help orangutans<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The problem with palm oil<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.natgeokids.com\/nz\/discover\/geography\/general-geography\/what-is-palm-oil\/\" type=\"post\" id=\"184631\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Palm oil<\/a><\/strong> is the <strong>world&#8217;s most widely produced vegetable oil<\/strong>. The fruit of the <strong>West African palm<\/strong>, it&#8217;s originally from <strong>West Africa <\/strong>and only grows in <strong>tropical rainforest climates<\/strong>. But now about <strong>85% <\/strong>of palm oil comes from <strong>Indonesia <\/strong>and <strong>Malaysia<\/strong>, where <strong>orangutans live <\/strong>in the wild. <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.creatureandcoagency.com\/uploads\/2026\/04\/BiruteGaldikasInterview-OilPalmPlantation.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"635\" height=\"410\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.creatureandcoagency.com\/uploads\/2026\/04\/BiruteGaldikasInterview-OilPalmPlantation.jpg\" alt=\"This image shows an oil palm plantation. There are neat rows of tall palm trees with big frond leaves only at their top. Beneath the canopy, there are no other plants. The ground is covered with grass but there are no other plants or animals to be seen.\" class=\"wp-image-327084\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oil palm plantations are much less biodiverse than rainforests<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.natgeokids.com\/nz\/discover\/geography\/physical-geography\/15-cool-things-about-rainforests\/\" type=\"post\" id=\"356\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Rainforests<\/a> are <strong>destroyed <\/strong>to make way for vast oil palm <strong>plantations <\/strong>in a process called <strong>deforestation<\/strong>, leaving <strong>many creatures without a home<\/strong>. These plantations are responsible for the <strong>deaths <\/strong>of up to <strong>5,000 wild orangutans <\/strong>every year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This <strong>aggressive agriculture <\/strong>isn&#8217;t just bad news for orangutans \u2013 it sucks for the entire planet. That&#8217;s because when we convert rainforest to <strong>farmland<\/strong>, the process releases <strong>carbon dioxide<\/strong>, causing <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.natgeokids.com\/nz\/discover\/geography\/general-geography\/what-is-climate-change\/\" type=\"post\" id=\"825\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">climate change<\/a><\/strong>. And <strong>pesticides <\/strong>and <strong>fertilisers <\/strong>used to grow palms <strong>kill native plants<\/strong> and <strong>pollute water sources <\/strong>for local <strong>people <\/strong>and <strong>wildlife<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Top tips to avoid palm oil<\/h4>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.creatureandcoagency.com\/uploads\/2026\/04\/BiruteGaldikasInterview-PalmOilFree.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"635\" height=\"410\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.creatureandcoagency.com\/uploads\/2026\/04\/BiruteGaldikasInterview-PalmOilFree.jpg\" alt=\"birute galdikas interview | a green logo with a picture of a palm tree in the middle. White text around the outside reads 'PALM OIL FREE'\" class=\"wp-image-327086\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>A whopping <strong>50% <\/strong>of all <strong>processed food <\/strong>and <strong>household products <\/strong>in the West contain palm oil, from <strong>biscuits <\/strong>and <strong>ice cream <\/strong>to <strong>shampoo<\/strong>, <strong>toothpaste<\/strong>, <strong>animal food<\/strong>, <strong>bath <\/strong>and <strong>beauty stuff <\/strong>and <strong>washing-up liquid. <\/strong>So how can you steer clear? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>&#8211; Non-processed foods don&#8217;t tend to contain palm oil &#8211; so eat <strong>freshly-cooked meals <\/strong>when you can. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8211; Ask your parents to buy from <strong>companies known to avoid palm oil<\/strong>, such as <strong>Suma <\/strong>and <strong>Planet Organic<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8211; <strong>Make your own products <\/strong>so you know what&#8217;s in them! Detergent, shampoo and cleaning products can all be created at home. Head to <strong>orangutan.org <\/strong>and download the <strong>palm oil awareness guide <\/strong>for instructions. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8211; Look out for <strong>NO PALM OIL <\/strong>labels on food and products.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Found out that one of your <strong>favourite products contains palm oil<\/strong>? <strong>Write to <\/strong>or <strong>email <\/strong>the company with your concerns! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can also help by <strong>raising money <\/strong>and donating it to an <strong>orangutan charity <\/strong>such as <strong>Orangutan Foundation International<\/strong>. Find out more at <a href=\"http:\/\/orangutan.org\" type=\"link\" id=\"orangutan.org\">orangutan.org<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.creatureandcoagency.com\/uploads\/2026\/04\/BiruteGaldikasInterview-OrangutanMumAndBabyInTree.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"635\" height=\"410\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.creatureandcoagency.com\/uploads\/2026\/04\/BiruteGaldikasInterview-OrangutanMumAndBabyInTree.jpg\" alt=\"a baby and mother orangutan hang in the trees\" class=\"wp-image-327087\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:15px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Find out more about Dr. Birut\u00e9 Galdikas&#8230;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Read: <\/strong><em><strong>Undaunted<\/strong><\/em>, a <em>National Geographic Kids <\/em>book about her life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Watch: <em>Born to be Wild<\/em><\/strong> and <strong><em>The Last Trimate<\/em><\/strong> \u2013 both films about Birut\u00e9&#8217;s work \u2013 and the National Geographic short film <strong><em>A Rare Look at the Secret Life of Orangutans<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Online: <\/strong>Check out loads of amazing orangutan info at <a href=\"http:\/\/orangutan.org\" type=\"link\" id=\"orangutan.org\">orangutan.org<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">What do you think of Birut\u00e9 Galdikas&#8217; extraordinary life? Tell us in the comments below!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h6 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Image credits: Birut\u00e9 headshot and Louis Leakey \u00a9&nbsp;Getty Images UK; Orangutan portrait, orangutan baby, oil palm plantation, &#8216;Palm Oil Free&#8217; logo and final orangutan mum and baby \u00a9 Adobe Stock. All others \u00a9 Orangutan Foundation International.<\/h6>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Meet Dr. Birut\u00e9 Galdikas! She&#8217;s a primatologist who spent her career studying orangutans in the forests of Borneo, Indonesia. Her discoveries changed the way we think about these shy apes, and her conservation work led to hundreds of young orangutans being reintroduced to the wild! Find out more in our Birut\u00e9 Galdikas interview&#8230; Who is &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.natgeokids.com\/nz\/discover\/science\/nature\/birute-galdikas-interview\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Dr. Birut\u00e9 Galdikas interview!<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":258443,"featured_media":327055,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[226,3137,960,834,364,1012,207,2648,2977,947],"christmas-category":[],"class_list":["post-326946","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nature","tag-animals","tag-birute-galdikas","tag-borneo","tag-conservation","tag-deforestation","tag-interview","tag-nature","tag-orangutan","tag-palm-oil","tag-science","countries-australia","countries-ireland","countries-new-zealand","countries-united-kingdom"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Dr. Birut\u00e9 Galdikas interview Dr. Birut\u00e9 Galdikas interview! 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