Let me introduce you to one of the Charlie’s Angels that protects the environment, and the orangutan expert
Dr Galdikas.
She’s under Leakey’s Angels ( derived from Charlie’s Angels.) along with Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey who cover both Chimpanzees and Gorillas respectively.
Louis Leakey is Charlie – who sent out the 3 women to observe primates in their natural habitat. He was a paleontologist. (studied the science of the forms of life existing in former geologicperiods, as represented by their fossils.)
He’s already passed away, but his 3 angels have spread far and wide.
Dr Galdikas isn’t as famous as Jane Goodall, but she has had MAJOR impact in our SEA region and therefore I have focused my attention on her.
and did you know she’s only nearby – in Indonesia.
She works at Camp Leakey – an area that she set up after much difficulty, to protect the forest and rehabilitate orangutans who have been captured to tune back to the wild.
A little more information about her – she is of Lithuanian heritage
but grew up in Canada and spent most of her life there.
She has written four books including her autobiography – Reflections of Eden. She has won many awards including the ‘Kalpataru’ an award that is awarded to people who have protected and contributed highly to the Indonesian Environment and she is the first non local and female to be awarded this award.
She is also the president and co-founder of the OFI (Orangutan Foundation International) and a Professor Extraordinaire at the National University of Jakarta. Her work- rehabilitating orangutans in Kalimantan, was also featured in the 2011 film Born to Be Wild.
She is the only person who has studied orangutans extensively over such a long period as well. Right now,the situation is far worse from when she first started and its difficult for her
due to the habitats being destroyed and so forth. She still continues her fight to saving these orangutans who could be gone in the next 10 years.
Born to Be Wild 3D – Exclusive: Dr. Birute Galdikas Interview
picture credits to allmoviephoto.com