Camp Leakey and Birutė Galdikas

Located in the Tanjung Puting Reserve (now National Park) in Central Borneo, Camp Leakey was established in 1971 by Dr. Biruté Galdikas and her former spouse Rod Brindamour.

Birutė Galdikas (born 1946), studied psychology and zoology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). In 1966, she earned her bachelor’s degrees in psychology and zoology, jointly awarded by UCLA and UBC, and earned her master’s degree in anthropology from UCLA in 1969.

During her graduate studies at UCLA, Galdikas met paleoanthropologist Louis Leakey, proposed a plan aimed at studying orangutans in their natural habitats, and ultimately became his third protègè, after Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey. Leakey and the National Geographic Society agreed to establish a research facility in Borneo.

Her research became the basis of her doctoral studies, and she earned her doctorate in anthropology from UCLA in 1978. She is the only one of the Trimates with higher academic studies.

photo of the trimates — (From left to right) Dian Fossey, Jane Goodall, Birute Galdikas.

Leakey and the National Geographic Society helped Galdikas set up her research camp to conduct field study on orangutans in Borneo. Before Leakey’s decision to appoint Galdikas, the orangutan was the least understood of the great apes. Galdikas went on to greatly expand scientific knowledge of orangutan behavior, habitat, and diet.

Dr Galdikas in a canoe with a baby orangutan

When she arrived in Borneo, Galdikas settled into a primitive bark and thatch hut, at a site she dubbed Camp Leakey, near the edge of the Java Sea. Remaining there for over 30 years while becoming an outspoken advocate for orangutans and the preservation of their rainforest habitat, which is rapidly being devastated by loggers, palm oil plantations, gold miners, and unnatural conflagrations.

There are particular brands that are strongly linked to that deforestation which are Nutella and KitKat.

nutella bottle in a empty land with orangutan — Nutella is destroying the forest

Over the years, Camp Leakey has supported the research efforts of dozens of scientists and students. Projects have ranged from orangutan, proboscis monkey, gibbon, and leaf-eating monkey behavior and ecology, to studies of orangutan sign language abilities and cognition, leech behavior, and river system ecology.

Dr Galdikas with some orangutans at Camp Leakey

Galdikas is still at Borneo working on research and conservation. Right now, the challenges are bigger, are corporations are getting stronger and sustainability issues are more common across Indonesia. If you would like to support her mission please go to https://orangutan.org and donate.