Reflections of Eden: My Years with the Orangutans of Borneo - Softcover

Birute M. F. Galdikas

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0316301868 ISBN 13: 9780316301862

Publisher: Back Bay Books, 1996

Synopsis

From the first, it was an adventure. In 1971, at age twenty-five, Galdikas left the placid world of American academia for the remote jungles of Indonesian Borneo. Living with her husband in a primitive camp, she became surrogate mother to a "family" of ex-captive orangutans - and gradually adjusted to the blood-sucking leeches, swarms of carnivorous insects, and constant humidity that rotted her belongings in the first year. Her first son spent the early years of his life at Camp Leakey with adopted orangutans as his only playmates. The wild orangutans Galdikas studied and the ex-captives she rehabilitated became an extended family of characters no less vivid than her human companions. Throatpouch, a huge and irritable grouch, fought off rivals for the right to claim adolescent Priscilla as his mate. Handsome Cara at first tried to rid the forest of its human intruder by hurling dead branches at Galdikas from the canopy above. Little Sugito, rescued from a cramped cage and returned to the jungle claimed Galdikas as his mother and clung to her fiercely, night and day, for months. A groundbreaking chronicler of the orangutans' life cycle, Galdikas also describes the threats that increasingly menace them: the battles with poachers and loggers, the illicit trade in infant orangutans, the frustrations of official bureaucracy. Her story is a rare combination of personal epiphany, crucial scientific discovery, and international impact - a life of human and environmental challenge. Reflections of Eden is the third act of a drama that has captivated the world: the story of a pioneering primatologist, a world leader in conservation, and a remarkable woman.

About this title

From Booklist:

Galdikas is a "trimate," one of three women who devoted themselves to the study of great apes in the wild. Her zeal for learning about orangutans emulates Jane Goodall's fascination with chimpanzees and the late Dian Fossey's dedication to gorillas. Not only is Galdikas a brilliant, courageous, and persevering scientist, but she is also a wonderfully engaging and generous writer. She tells the entire mesmerizing story of how she came to be the world's foremost orangutan expert, eloquently sharing her passion for these red-haired, arboreal, intelligent, gentle and reclusive yet personable creatures. As she recounts her exhausting efforts to track and observe the orangutans of Borneo's rain forest, Galdikas also candidly describes the unexpected impact her mission has on her personal life. Some of the most challenging and humbling episodes involve her serving as a surrogate mother for orphaned orangutan infants. As she gazes into the eyes of her beloved "cross-species" children, she catches a "glimpse of what we were before we were fully human. . .a reflection of Eden," a revelation that inspires much musing on the significance of our close genetic bond to our primate cousins. Galdikas' detailed chronicle is alive with captivating portraits of individual orangutans--from "vigorous and decisive" Cara to clinging Sugito, amorous TP, and loving Akmad--and charged with the forces of love, determination, grief, and recovery. Donna Seaman

From Library Journal:

Until now, fans of primatologist Galdikas had to make do with brief accounts of her life and work in books such as Evelyn Gallardo's Among the Orangutans (Chronicle, 1993) and Sy Montgomery's Walking with the Great Apes (LJ 2/1/91). Galdikas, along with Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey, was recruited by Louis Leaky to conduct long-term field studies of the great apes, in her case orangutans. While not as famous (or notorious) as her colleagues, Galdikas has been a phenomenal success in both her scientific studies and the conservation of orangutans. She also became immersed in Indonesian culture, marrying and raising children with a native Bornean. This book is a wonderful account of both her scientific work and personal experiences with a harsh environment, the loss of beloved orangutans, and the end of her first marriage to Canadian Rod Brindamour. Her humanity, courage, and dedication shine on every page. Highly recommended for all libraries, this book will inspire young scientists and enthrall anyone interested in orangutans and the rigors of modern field research.
--Beth Clewis, Prince William P.L., Va.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Back Bay Books
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0316301868
• ISBN 13: 9780316301862
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 432