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Birutė Galdikas began her groundbreaking work studying wild animals in deep forests. Her life represents a special era in science. Fifty years ago, three women went into the woods alone. They were Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Birutė Galdikas. A famous man named Louis Leakey sent them there. He wanted to study animals like humans.
Before this work, people did not know much. They thought animals only acted on hunger. These women changed that idea forever. They found that animals have feelings and friends. Jane Goodall saw chimps use tools. Dian Fossey found that gorillas love their families. Birutė showed that orangutans teach their babies well. Now, people saw a clear line between humans and animals was gone.
The work has changed now. We know many facts about these animals already. The new job is to save them. Many forests are small now. Over 90 percent of some species might die out. We must protect their homes to help them live. Stories help us care, but we need action. Birutė and her friends gave us a big gift. We must use that gift to stop them from disappearing.