Birute Galdikas: the Professor of the Red Apes " DONT ENJOY Giving In- Especiallytall for a Western I Terviews," Bimte Galdikas, Woman
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Birute Galdikas: The Professor of the Red Apes " DONT ENJOY giving in- especiallytall for a Western I terviews," Bimte Galdikas, woman. But she towers over EAR11-fWATCHprincipal investi- most Indonesians, including her gator for the Orangutan Project, husband. is saying. Indeed, she seems un- When the professor arrived in characteristicallyill at ease. She Tanjung Puting little was known squirms in her chair and fidgets about the mysterious orangu- with an unlit cigarette. tan. "I was most surprised to Galdikas has no good reason learn how much bark they eat," to feel uncomfortable. It's 95 she says,"and at cerrain times of degrees (in the shade) and the the year how little fruit they humidity stands at 85 percent. consume. For months they She's nursing fire-ant bites, and gorge themselves on insects. It the mosquitoes are especially was an EARTHWATCHgroup abundant, but basicallythings [Team VIII, 1984] who wit- are as they alwaysare and have nessed orangutans eating meat. been for the past 14years in the That had never been seen in the Tanjung Puting Reserveon the wild before. It was perhaps our island of Borneo in Indonesia. most dramatic revelation ever." Along with her husband and Galdikas says her EARTH- tWoof her three children, Gal- WATCHvolunteers are indispens- dikas livesin a small but ample able. "People have no idea how wooden bungalow. At one end much papetWork is involved in of the very rustic living-dining any scientificproject. And it's room her three-year-old son tcue: if you don't publish, you Frederickfrolicswith his toys. perish. I don't know how I'd The shelves overflowwith a find the time if it wasn't for the combination of scientificvol- volunteers taking data and umes and children's books. photographs." Above Galdikas is a framed Despite her 14 years of re- poster of an orangutan, the least search and writing, Galdikas known and most endangered of Birute Galdikas with orangutan at her camp in Borneo. claims little credit for populariz- all the great apes- the animal ing orangs. "Clint EastWoodis she rraveled halfway around the "LouisLeakeygave'us our fo; orangutans. Dozens of the the hero," she says. EastWood world to study. starts," she says. "I don't think red apes commute betWeen the costarred with an orangutan She pops out of her chair and it's a coincidence that we're all forest and the camp, where named Clyde in the movie opens the back door. "Isn't the women. Leakeybelieved women shelter and food are provided. Every Which way But Loose in light beautiful today? And are more patient and observant Eventually, some animals are 1978, and again tWoyears later listen to those birds." She leaves than men. I think I agree. In- able to revert back to the wild. in Any Which Way You Can. "The second movie was won- the door open and sips her cof- creasingly,primatologists are Brindamour spent much of fee. "I've alwaysbeen interested women. Also, this is not a get- those first years chasing loggers derful," she says. ''I'll never in animals and human history. rich-quick job. Men tend to out of Tanjung Puring. Galdikas forget when EastWoodsaid to Trying to understand where we seek career advancement. Well, finally lights her cigarette. the cop [about Clyde], 'He's his came from has foreverbeen a I'm here in Borneo and there's "More than anything," she says, own person; I don't own him.' passion of mine. It seems to be no promotion in sight. This is "I'm proud that we saved this That was absolutely magnifi- clear that we humans, before we it." national park. And by continu- cent. In one sentence that de- entered the savannahsof this Galdikas first arrived on the ing to live l}ere,we safeguard it. fmes the orangutan's character." earth, must have left the trop- island with her former spouse, Last year we caught 97 loggers." The professor begins to' ical rain forest. SoI wasinter- Rod Brindamour. They were Mter 7111.years in Borneo, laugh. "If I could hire a~y actor ested in learning about the one surprised to find orangutans still however, Brindamour yearned to porrray an orangutan m a great ape still left behind in the being kept as pets throughout to return to Norrh America. film I'd cast Lucille Ball or Grace rain forest." Indonesia despite the fact that it Their son Binti joined him. "My Kelly. Lucyhas the red hair and The professor, asshe prefers was against the law to do so. life was here," says Galdikas. she clowns. Kelly had the cool to be called, is talking in a sweet "Rod deservesa medal for his "My goal is to learn about the demeanor. i love the noncha- and verysoft voice. Her gentle work," she says. "We physically life history of orangutans. I sus- lant gaze out of the corner of features mask her 39 years. She's confiscated the animals, finally pect their life expectancy is sixty her eye. It's the same as an still using the unlit cigarette as a ending the orangutan trade. years. There are so many ques- orangutan's." prop, gesruring with it occasion- The first Indonesian phrase Rod tions yet to be answered." Though she often returns to ally to punctuate a sentence or learned was, 'This officer is here She stayed in Borneo and North America as a visiting pro- to point to a framed poster pro- with me sowe can confiscate eventUallymarried a pr~minent fessorat Simon FraserUniversity in British Columbia, Indonesia moting a lectUreshe once pre- this orangutan.' ". local Indonesian. Their children is her home. "It's where I'm sented at the Chicago Academy The former pets were iIl- are bilingual and bicultUral. of Scienceswith fellowprimatol- equipped to be released into the Born in Wiesbaden, Germany most comforrable," saysGaldi- ogists Dian Fosseyand Jane rain forest, and so Galdikas's and raised in Canada, Galdikas kas. 'This is where I'll spend the Goodall. camp became a halfway house is about five-foot-seven- not rest ofmylife." - STEVEDALE 8 EAR11-fWATCH/JANUARY-FEBRUARY 1986.