Birut

1
Biruté Mary Galdikas

• Orangutan Conservationist and Ethologist

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Biruté Galdikas Biography

• Born May 10, 1946, in Wiesbaden, Germany.
• Grew up in Toronto, Canada.
• Curious George as inspiration
• Received split BA from University of British
  Colombia and UCLA in psychology and zoology
  -1966
• Masters from UCLA in anthropology- 1969

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Bio. Continued

• PhD from UCLA in anthropology in 1978
• Told Dr. Louis Leakey of her desire to study
  orangutans.

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Bornean Orangutan

• Average lifespan in the wild- 35-40 years
• Endangered yes
• Males socialize only during mating.
• Population size 50,000-60,000
• Weigh up to 90 kg., 1-1.5 meters tall, 2.5 meter
  armspan

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Galdikas Questions

• Why did orangutans not evolve into humans?

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Discoveries

• 400 types of food consumed by orangutans
• Birth interval of 7.7 years on average
• Helped illuminate organization of orangutan
  social and mating systems.

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Contributions

• Widespread attention to orangutans for the first
  time
• Started the Orangutan Foundation International
• Longest continuous study by one principle
  investigator in the world.

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Published

• Orangutan Odyssey- 1999
• Great Ape Odyssey- 2005
• All Apes Great and Small- 2002
• Reflections of Eden My Years with the Orangutans
  of Borneo- 1996
• Two National Geographic cover stories