Travel Blogs

Save an Orangutan and the Borneo Rainforest

Located in the Tanjung Puting National Park in Central Borneo, Camp Leakey was established in 1971 by Birute Galdikas and named after the legendary Louis Leakey, who was both mentor and an inspiration to Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey. 

Originally consisting of just two huts, Camp Leakey is now an assemblage of permanent wooden structures designed to provide a base for scientists, staff, students, and Park Rangers. Over the years, Camp Leakey has supported the research efforts of dozens of scientists from Indonesia and North America. Projects have ranged from orangutan, proboscis monkey, gibbon and leaf-eating monkey behavior and ecology, to studies of orangutan sign language abilities and cognition, to leech behavior, and river system ecology.

As an active research facility, Camp Leakey welcomes day visitors with local guides. Staff only ask that you observe the orangutans from a safe distance, and do not disturb the scientists conducting research.