“One does not meet oneself until one catches
the reflection from an eye other than human.” Loren Eiseley
Dr. Birute Galdikas hugging orangutans in the
book “Untamed” by Anita Silvey piqued my interest. I was thrilled to learn that
Galdikas had written a book about her life with the orangutans: “Reflections of
Eden”, a riveting autobiography with empowering insights and an entrancing
world of adventures.
Dr Galdikas is a keen observer of both humans
and orangutans.
Captivated by an orangutan’s enigmatic gaze in her early twenties, Birute decided that she would study orangutans. As a student of anthropology at UCLA (University of California Los Angeles), she sent many letters and consulted several professors, but nobody believed she would be able to study orangutans in the wild. Everyone discouraged her. Impervious to their lack of cooperation, she persisted.
One day, a famous anthropologist, Dr. Louis
Leakey, came to UCLA to give a lecture. As she listened to him, she had a kind
of epiphany: she saw her future in the forests of Borneo, working with
orangutans.
A meaningful conversation with Dr. Leakey
gave her the chance to convince him that her interest in orangutans was
genuine. She was ready to do whatever was necessary to study them. Three years
later, Birute Galdikas ventured to Kalamantan in Indonesia with the support of
Louis Leakey, who had helped her to obtain a grant.
Her purpose was to unlock the mysteries of orangutans. It was the year 1971. Little did she know about how much she would get attached to the forest, the people and the orangutans in Indonesia.
Galdikas
and her husband, Rod, sheltered in a rudimentary hut nestled in the rainforest. They had no
electricity and survived on limited resources, under the threat of blood-sucking leeches.
“To save
money we had only one flashlight between us, which Rod always carried. But most
days we went separate ways. If I spotted an orangutan, I would tie a white
handkerchief around a tree before I left the trail, so Rod could find me. This system
worked well most of the time. In the forest gloom the handkerchief stood out
like a beacon, but on many days we lost track of one another.” Eventually,
they bought a second flashlight: “After
months of stumbling home by myself in the dark over roots and vines, I decided
that buying a second flashlight would not ruin us financially. The blackness of
the forest combined with the dankness of the air felt claustrophobic, like
pushing my way through curtains of black velvet.”
It took
her months to gain their trust and get close to the orangutans. She was then able to follow their behaviors,
interactions and relationships. This can only happen when habituation takes
place, the process through which orangutans live their lives alongside humans
without being influenced by their presence. Birute Galdikas named every orangutan she
followed, and documented every feature of their individual
personalities.
Her work in Indonesia, however, was not
limited to research goals.
According to Indonesian laws people are
not allowed to keep orangutans as pets, but Birute Galdikas soon became aware
of the fact that these laws were not enforced. Therefore, it was considered
normal to keep orangutans in cages, as pets, in Indonesia. Even government
officials did it. For every orangutan that was kept as a pet, six had been
slaughtered. After the mother was killed, the defenseless offspring was caught
and traded. It was considered a profitable business, even though it was against
the law. Living in cages, their lifespan did not go beyond their juvenile
years.
Birute’s work and love for orangutans led her to do more than just research the lives of orangutans. Her determination to rescue orangutans transcended the boundaries of this cultural wrongdoing that happened in other countries as well- not just Indonesia. Over time, she was able to persuade people that keeping orangutans in captivity was not only illegal but also cruel and unethical.
In
addition to working on her research, Birute opened the cages of many captive
orangutans and provided the rehabilitation they needed before they were ready
to be released into the wild.
Birute
became the adoptive mother of several orangutans, and this was not a simple task.
The first orangutan she rescued was Sugito, who clung to her day and night,
never willing to let her go. Even going to the bathroom became a challenge for
Birute after she adopted Sugito.
Many of
the unique stories of ex-captive orangutans are shared in “Reflections of
Eden”, a book that teems with surprises and interesting revelations. Her words
evince vivid memories of the rainforest and enrapture our senses:
“Even more profound than this elusive beauty
is the music of the forest. It varies from hour to hour, but the underlying
symphony, so pervasive that it permeates the fabric of one’s being, is the
whine of the cicadas. Multifarious cicada voices, some ebbing, some flowing in
crescendo, overpower other sounds. The noise of the cicadas echoes in the inner
ear, penetrates the bones, and reverberates in the marrow.”
Orangutans spend most of their time in the
forest canopies, roaming through the treetops. The massive destruction of the rainforests
is leading to their extinction. During those early years Birute and her husband
found themselves fighting to preserve their forests.
“With
the destruction of the tropical forests, the orangutans are inadvertently
flushed out of the forest onto the ground and into open spaces where the large
red apes are easy targets.”
Orangutans are a keystone species. They play a unique role in the preservation of the rainforest. Their faeces contain hundreds of seeds, and by spreading the seeds they support the health of the forest and help it to thrive.
Orangutans share 97 percent of their DNA with
humans, so it should not come as a surprise that orangutans’ social lives are
complex. Unlike chimpanzees, orangutans enjoy their solitude.
“Orangutans
can be quite social, but they also seem to be perfectly at ease being alone.
They can form lasting relationships, but they do not need constant reassurance,
nor do they fear being alone and lonely.” Relationships can last a
lifetime. Even if they do not interact for months or years, the bond is
maintained. This feature reminds me of dolphins. (I wrote about them when I reviewed "Voices in the Ocean", years
ago).
Birute Galdikas unravels the layers of complexity of various situations and cultural experiences
without adopting a judgmental attitude. "Reflections of Eden" exposes personal life stories and
observations with honesty, creating new dimensions of understanding, as she
unfolds different aspects of the book, including her childhood, youth, her family
history, her research on orangutans and the idiosyncrasies of Indonesian culture.
The gist of the book, however, is about the
journey to understand orangutans, to rescue them, and to support their habitat.
After
reading “Reflections of Eden” I was inspired to learn more on how to support
orangutans. Palm oil plantations are replacing the forests that they need to
survive.
Avoiding the consumption of palm oil, for
example, is an important way to help them. Cosmetics and certain foods may contain
palm oil, so checking labels is important to avoid purchasing products that
contain palm oil. (For example, soaps, shampoo, chocolate and cookies may
contain palm oil). You can also contact manufacturers, asking them to avoid the
use of palm oil in their products. You can learn more about this from these
websites:
Dr. Galdikas is the President of the Orangutan Foundation International. Feel free to check their website:
https://orangutan.org/about/history-of-ofi/
Birute Galdikas never abandoned the orangutans. Fifty
years later, her commitment to protect orangutans and their precious forests is
alive and active. Enjoy this National Geographic video with Dr. Galdikas and
the orangutans.
