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An orphan orangutan cuddles up with archaeology professor Biruté Mary Galdikas, whose research and rescue of the world’s endangered orangutans spans 40 years. She plays a starring role in Born to be Wild, a major IMAX film documenting her work. It opened opened in theatres April 3. (Photo by: ©Michael Tobias/Dancing Star Foundation)
SFU prof stars in IMAX film
April 7, 2011
Document Tools
By Marianne Meadahl
Photos by Drew Fellman, courtesy of Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Archaeology professor Birute Galdikas, whose research and rescue of the world’s endangered orangutans spans 40 years, plays a starring role in a major IMAX® film documenting her work.
Born to Be Wild, which opens worldwide April 8, traces her life’s work with orphaned orangutans at a sanctuary she established in the remote jungle of Borneo.
“It’s a beautifully shot, lush film, with a real feel for the landscape, and it captures the humour as well as the environment,” says Galdikas.
The film’s producer, Drew Fellman, spent time at the sanctuary 18 years ago and was moved by the work and the fate of the primates. “I didn’t meet him then, but I heard that he vowed to one day do something to help this cause,” says Galdikas, who was approached by Fellman two years ago with the idea of making the film. He returned with 30,000 pounds of movie-making equipment and spent two months documenting her conservation efforts and her day-to-day work with the orangutans.
Galdikas, 64, began her research in 1971, building an 80-km trail system through dense rainforest to reach the orangutans. She has since helped more than 400 orphan orangutans to explore and rehabilitate themselves at her sanctuary, which now employs some 200 local people.
She has also seen the depletion of more than 80 per cent of the area’s plush rainforest and has spoken out about the detrimental impact of the region’s lucrative palm oil industry and its reign over landowners and forests.
The Indonesian government established a reserve where Galdikas released 160 orangutans into the wild 12 years ago. She says they now appear set to approve a restoration concession for the future release of as many as 150.
Galdikas, who continues to spend six months of the year in the field, has also just established the Canadian chapter of Orangutan Foundation International.
Born to be Wild also features the rescue and rehabilitation of elephants in Kenya with world authority Daphne Sheldrick.
“This film has an important message about preserving endangered species,” says Galdikas, “but it will also give viewers a very personal and rare window into the world of these animals.”
To view the trailer: http://at.sfu.ca/NmlthW.
Biruté Galdikas with an orangutan, or ‘person of the forest’. They are the only great apes found outside of Africa. According to Galdikas, orangutans are very intelligent and share 97 per cent of human genetic material.
A juvenile male orangutan satisfies his curiosity by checking out the IMAX camera, up-close.
In a scene from Born to be Wild, these fun-loving orangutans lather up and wash themselves. Orangutans are talented mimics and learn the behavior by observing their caretakers.
Galdikas says the orangutans have become refugees in their own land.Assistants at the Orangutan Foundation International’s Care Center, featured in Born to be Wild, will be this baby orangutan’s surrogate mother for the next several years.
Born to Be Wild, which opens worldwide April 8, traces her life’s work with orphaned orangutans at a sanctuary she established in the remote jungle of Borneo.
“It’s a beautifully shot, lush film, with a real feel for the landscape, and it captures the humour as well as the environment,” says Galdikas.
The film’s producer, Drew Fellman, spent time at the sanctuary 18 years ago and was moved by the work and the fate of the primates. “I didn’t meet him then, but I heard that he vowed to one day do something to help this cause,” says Galdikas, who was approached by Fellman two years ago with the idea of making the film. He returned with 30,000 pounds of movie-making equipment and spent two months documenting her conservation efforts and her day-to-day work with the orangutans.
Galdikas, 64, began her research in 1971, building an 80-km trail system through dense rainforest to reach the orangutans. She has since helped more than 400 orphan orangutans to explore and rehabilitate themselves at her sanctuary, which now employs some 200 local people.
She has also seen the depletion of more than 80 per cent of the area’s plush rainforest and has spoken out about the detrimental impact of the region’s lucrative palm oil industry and its reign over landowners and forests.
The Indonesian government established a reserve where Galdikas released 160 orangutans into the wild 12 years ago. She says they now appear set to approve a restoration concession for the future release of as many as 150.
Galdikas, who continues to spend six months of the year in the field, has also just established the Canadian chapter of Orangutan Foundation International.
Born to be Wild also features the rescue and rehabilitation of elephants in Kenya with world authority Daphne Sheldrick.
“This film has an important message about preserving endangered species,” says Galdikas, “but it will also give viewers a very personal and rare window into the world of these animals.”
To view the trailer: http://at.sfu.ca/NmlthW.
Biruté Galdikas with an orangutan, or ‘person of the forest’. They are the only great apes found outside of Africa. According to Galdikas, orangutans are very intelligent and share 97 per cent of human genetic material.
A juvenile male orangutan satisfies his curiosity by checking out the IMAX camera, up-close.
In a scene from Born to be Wild, these fun-loving orangutans lather up and wash themselves. Orangutans are talented mimics and learn the behavior by observing their caretakers.
Galdikas says the orangutans have become refugees in their own land.Assistants at the Orangutan Foundation International’s Care Center, featured in Born to be Wild, will be this baby orangutan’s surrogate mother for the next several years.
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