A tribute to Birutė Galdikas

Birutė Galdikas (c) Simon Fraser University

Everyone at Born Free is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Dr Birutė Galdikas, and join the global conservation community in mourning the loss of a pioneer, a protector, and a lifelong voice for orangutans.

For more than five decades, Birutė dedicated her life to the forests of Borneo, transforming our understanding of these remarkable apes and fighting tirelessly for their survival. At a time when so little was known, her groundbreaking fieldwork revealed their intelligence, complexity, and profound connection to the natural world. As one of “Leakey’s Angels”, the legendary “Trimates”, alongside Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey, she helped reshape how humanity sees and values wildlife. 

Ian Redmond OBE, Chairman of the Ape Alliance (of which Birutė was a founding member) and Born Free Policy Advisor, commented: “Dr Birutė Mary Galdikas was an extraordinary woman.  I first met her in 1986 when National Geographic held a memorial day of lectures in Washington DC honouring Dr Dian Fossey, who had been murdered the previous December in Rwanda.  When Ashley Leiman set up the Orangutan Foundation UK in 1990, I became a trustee (and still am today), later visiting Birutė’s Camp Leakey with fellow trustee, Terry Pratchett.  Her legacy is immense, laying the foundation for much of our scientific understanding of orangutan behaviour and ecology, the better protection of key orangutan habitat, and public awareness of the red ape and its role as a keystone species in the forests of Borneo.”

Dame Virginia McKenna and Will Travers OBE, co-founders of the Born Free Foundation, added: “It really does feel like an era is coming to an end. First Dian Fossey, then Jane Goodall, and now Birutė. Three of the greatest primatologists the world has ever seen. Trailblazers, not only because they did so much to unlock the mysteries surrounding the lives of great apes, but because they revealed how profoundly similar to our non-human cousins we truly are. And they did it with endless patience and deep compassion. From Born Free’s point of view, their research also showed how impoverished the captive world is compared to the rich diversity of life in the wild. We must redouble our efforts to honour their legacy, as we mourn their passing and work to keep wildlife in the wild at all costs.”

Her legacy lives on not only in science, but in meaningful conservation action, through the protection of rainforest habitats and the rescue and rehabilitation of countless orangutans displaced by human activity. At Born Free, we recognise and honour Birutė’s extraordinary contribution to orangutan conservation. Her lifelong commitment reflects values we share; protecting wildlife, preserving habitats, and ensuring animals can live free in the wild. We will carry that spirit forward in our work, and in our belief that every animal deserves to live free.