Profile of Biruté Mary Galdikas: The German-Born Guardian of Orangutans and Recipient of the Kalpataru Award
The international conservation world is shrouded in grief. Prof. Biruté Mary Galdikas, the legendary primatologist dubbed the “Mother of Orangutans”, is reported to have passed away on Tuesday, 24 March 2026, at 04:30 Los Angeles time in the United States.
The news of the passing of the President of the Orangutan Foundation International (OFI) has been confirmed by the foundation and the Government of West Kotawaringin Regency. Biruté died at the age of 79 after dedicating more than 50 years of her life to protecting orangutans and the rainforest habitat in Kalimantan.
Born in Germany on 10 May 1946, Biruté’s journey began in 1971 when she arrived in Tanjung Puting, Central Kalimantan. Alongside Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey, she was selected by anthropologist Louis Leakey to study great apes in the wild. Biruté established Camp Leakey, which is now the world’s longest-running and most respected orangutan research centre.
Over decades, Biruté not only documented orangutan behaviour but also fought against deforestation, illegal timber industry, and palm oil plantation expansion that threaten the extinction of this endemic species. She has helped rehabilitate and release more than 1,000 orangutans back into the forest.
Although initially a Canadian-Lithuanian national, Biruté has long been an Indonesian citizen (WNI). Her connection to Kalimantan soil is profound, especially as she married a prominent Dayak community figure, the late Bohap bin Jalan.
The Forestry Minister, Raja Juli Antoni, stated that the deceased’s body is planned to be brought back to Indonesia. In accordance with her will, Prof. Biruté wishes to be buried in Pangkalan Bun, Central Kalimantan, next to her husband’s grave in Pasir Panjang Village.
Her passing leaves a huge void in the world of science and conservation. However, her legacy will live on through thousands of hectares of forest she saved and the conservation spirit she instilled in Indonesia’s younger generation.
Profile of The Trimates: Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Mary Galdikas. Three resilient women who dedicated their lives to great apes.