By Pedro Pozas Terrados (Executive Director, PGS Spain)

Farewell to a great woman, the eternal guardian of the orangutans — the woman who devoted her life to the forest and to her orange brothers.

Yesterday, March 24, was a profoundly sad day for the world of conservation, for the defense of great apes, and for all those who believe in a more just and compassionate humanity. Biruté Galdikas has passed away at the age of 79. She was one of the most important figures in the protection of orangutans and Honorary President of the Great Ape Project. She would have turned 80 on May 10.

Her loss leaves an immense void — one that words can scarcely describe. A life comes to rest, a life devoted tirelessly to the rainforest, to its residents, and especially to those extraordinary beings whom she lovingly called her “orange brothers.”

Biruté Galdikas was not just a scientist. She was a courageous woman, committed to the very end, who chose to step away from media recognition to remain where she was needed most — in the heart of the Bornean jungle, defending the orangutans from the destruction of their home, from the relentless expansion of palm oil plantations, and from the world’s indifference.

Biruté chose the silence of the jungle, the mud, the rain, the solitude, and the daily struggle. Perhaps that is one reason why she was not as well-known in Spain as she deserved to be. But her legacy, her work, and her dedication place her, without any doubt, among the greatest figures in the history of conservation. Until her final days, as she herself stated in an interview featured in the book Non-Human Hominids, she remained in the jungle — working, protecting, resisting. She never abandoned her mission.

Today, the world loses an icon. Today, the orangutans lose one of their greatest defenders. Today, we lose a companion, a friend, an inspiration. At the Great Ape Project, we are deeply saddened and in mourning for her passing.

Pedro Pozas Terrados, Executive Director of the Great Ape Project Spain, stated:
“Biruté Galdikas was one of the purest and most dedicated souls I have ever known. While many spoke, she acted. While the world looked away, she remained in the jungle, defending life. She never sought recognition — she sought justice for the orangutans. Perhaps that is why she was not as well-known in our country, because she never left the field of struggle. Today we lose an irreplaceable woman, but her legacy compels us to continue.”

He added:
“We have lost a great woman, a tireless fighter, a defender of the great apes who devoted her entire existence to protecting them. At the Great Ape Project, we feel her loss as something deeply personal. But we also feel the responsibility to continue her path — to never give up, to keep defending our evolutionary brothers with the same passion she taught us.”

In this moment of sorrow, we also wish to express that organizations such as the Animals Guardians Foundation and the World Biological Corridor join us in mourning, grief, and sadness for the loss of this great woman.

Biruté did not only defend the orangutans. She defended the rainforest, life itself, and the balance of the planet. She was a steadfast voice against destruction, greed, and indifference. Her book Reflections of Eden remains one of her most enduring written legacies — a call to defend great apes, their populations, and life itself.

Today her voice falls silent, but her message echoes louder than ever. From the Great Ape Project, we wish to bid her farewell as she deserved — with emotion, respect, and love.

Dearest friend and companion, we send you a big orange hug, as you so loved to say. Thank you for your example, your struggle, and your life of dedication. May your journey into the universe of stars be a beautiful one. Wherever you are, we know you will continue watching over them.

We will keep fighting. For the orangutans. For the great apes. For life. And for a Great Apes Law that will mean the end of their captivity.

That will be the greatest tribute to Biruté Galdikas.