Leakey's Angels
Encyclopedia
Leakey's Angels is a relatively recent name given to three women sent by archaeologist Louis Leakey
to study primate
s in their natural environments. The three are Jane Goodall
, Dian Fossey
, and Birutė Galdikas
. They studied chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans respectively.
The name was devised by one of the three women, Galdikas, in her 1995 book, Reflections of Eden, based on the fact that she first met Leakey in Los Angeles, California
, a suitable place for angels. Prior to Galdikas, the terms ape ladies or ape women (with variants, e.g., gorilla lady, chimpanzee lady, etc.) were in wide use, which, though they began prosaically enough in reference to their occupations, were more susceptible to misuse. The term 'Leakey's Angels' is viewed as being more suitable and is likely to be sustained.
Leakey's interest in primate ethology
stemmed from his attempts to recreate the environment in which Proconsul
lived in the Rusinga Island
region. He saw similarities between this environment and the habitat of the Chimpanzee
s and Gorilla
s. He had been trying to find observers since 1946. In 1956, he sent his secretary, Rosalie Osborn, to Mount Muhabura
in Uganda
to "help habituate" gorillas, but she lasted only four months, and returned to England. Leakey was considering taking the job himself when Goodall providentially brought herself to his attention.
In order to fund Goodall's research at the Gombe Stream Preserve, Leakey created the Tigoni Primate Research Center in 1958. With donations from sources including the National Geographic and the Wilkie Foundation, the Tigoni Research Center helped secure funding for all three angels, in addition to being a facility for conducting research on primates. Tigoni is not far from Nairobi
. After Kenya achieved independence the center became the National Primate Research Center. Currently it is the Institute of Primate Research of the National Museums of Kenya
, located in Nairobi.
At the time of Leakey's death in 1972, Goodall and Fossey had progressed significantly in their long term field research in Africa, while Galdikas was just getting underway with her field studies in Indonesia
. At the time, a fourth female researcher, Toni Jackman, had been selected to study bonobo
s in Africa, but the necessary financing and permits had not yet been secured.
culture in the Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania
. Goodall had always been passionate about animals and Africa
, which brought her to the farm of a friend in the Kenya highlands in 1957. From there, she obtained work as a secretary, but acting on her friend's advice she telephoned Louis Leakey with no other thought than to make an appointment to discuss animals. The call was far-reaching in its impact. Leakey was looking for a chimpanzee researcher but he kept the idea to himself for a time. Instead, he insisted Goodall could work for him as a secretary. After obtaining his wife Mary Leakey's approval, Louis sent Goodall to Olduvai Gorge
, where he confessed his plans. The funds had to be found first.
In 1958, Leakey sent Goodall to London to study primate behavior with Osman Hill
and primate anatomy with John Napier
. In 1959, Leakey became romantic about Goodall, but she refused him firmly. Neither bore any ill will. The funds were found in that year, and in 1960 Jane went to Gombe with her mother Vanne Morris-Goodall. The presence of Vanne was necessary to satisfy the requirements of David Anstey, chief warden, who was concerned for their safety. He cancelled the permit briefly. After Goodall was sent to observe vervet monkey
s, the permit was reinstated.
s in the Virunga Volcanoes of Rwanda
. She had lived a somewhat reclusive life as an occupational therapist working with disabled children in California. Earlier she had been interested in veterinary science. In 1963 she decided to seek adventure in Africa and took a trip there with borrowed money. Happening to visit Olduvai, she came to Leakey's attention by spraining her ankle, falling into the excavation, and vomiting on a giraffe fossil.
Dian returned home to repay the money. In 1966, Leakey happened to be in Louisville lecturing. Dian went to the lecture, spoke momentarily to Leakey, and to her surprise he remembered her and asked her to stay after the lecture. The next day after an hour's interview at Leakey's hotel, he hired her to observe gorillas, taking up where George Schaller
had left off. On January 6, 1967, she arrived at the Virunga Mountains
in a land rover with Alan Root
and a small party and hiked into the mountains, where she set up camp. Root left. Fossey began to succeed in observation almost from the beginning. She seemed to have an empathy with the gorillas.
s, and stayed after the lecture to solicit Leakey's help. In between his conversations with other fans, she managed to tentatively convince him to support her orangutan research. Leakey did wish to find an observer of orangutans and had asked Goodall to do it years before, but Goodall refused, as she was preoccupied by the chimpanzees.
Louis interviewed Galdikas the next day at the home of Joan and Arnold Travis, Leakey's base in Southern California during his regular lecture tours on the West coast. Leakey accepted the application and over the next months set up an expedition with the necessary permissions. In 1971, she became the third angel, when she began field studies of orangutans in the jungles of Borneo
.
Louis Leakey
Louis Seymour Bazett Leakey was a British archaeologist and naturalist whose work was important in establishing human evolutionary development in Africa. He also played a major role in creating organizations for future research in Africa and for protecting wildlife there...
to study primate
Primate
A primate is a mammal of the order Primates , which contains prosimians and simians. Primates arose from ancestors that lived in the trees of tropical forests; many primate characteristics represent adaptations to life in this challenging three-dimensional environment...
s in their natural environments. The three are Jane Goodall
Jane Goodall
Dame Jane Morris Goodall, DBE , is a British primatologist, ethologist, anthropologist, and UN Messenger of Peace. Considered to be the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees, Goodall is best known for her 45-year study of social and family interactions of wild chimpanzees in Gombe Stream National...
, Dian Fossey
Dian Fossey
Dian Fossey was an American zoologist who undertook an extensive study of gorilla groups over a period of 18 years. She studied them daily in the mountain forests of Rwanda, initially encouraged to work there by famous anthropologist Louis Leakey...
, and Birutė Galdikas
Birute Galdikas
Birutė Marija Filomena Galdikas, OC , is a primatologist, conservationist, ethologist, and author of several books relating to the endangered orangutan, particularly the Bornean orangutan. Well known in the field of modern primatology, Galdikas is recognized as a leading authority on orangutans...
. They studied chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans respectively.
The name was devised by one of the three women, Galdikas, in her 1995 book, Reflections of Eden, based on the fact that she first met Leakey in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, a suitable place for angels. Prior to Galdikas, the terms ape ladies or ape women (with variants, e.g., gorilla lady, chimpanzee lady, etc.) were in wide use, which, though they began prosaically enough in reference to their occupations, were more susceptible to misuse. The term 'Leakey's Angels' is viewed as being more suitable and is likely to be sustained.
Leakey's interest in primate ethology
Ethology
Ethology is the scientific study of animal behavior, and a sub-topic of zoology....
stemmed from his attempts to recreate the environment in which Proconsul
Proconsul (genus)
Proconsul is an extinct genus of primates that existed from 23 to 5 million years ago during the Early Miocene epoch. Fossil remains are present in Eastern Africa including Kenya and Uganda. Four species have been classified to date: P. africanus, P. heseloni, P. major and P. nyanzae. The four...
lived in the Rusinga Island
Rusinga Island
Rusinga Island, with an elongated shape approx. 10 miles from end to end and 3 miles at its widest point, lies in the eastern part of Lake Victoria at the mouth of the Winam Gulf...
region. He saw similarities between this environment and the habitat of the Chimpanzee
Chimpanzee
Chimpanzee, sometimes colloquially chimp, is the common name for the two extant species of ape in the genus Pan. The Congo River forms the boundary between the native habitat of the two species:...
s and Gorilla
Gorilla
Gorillas are the largest extant species of primates. They are ground-dwelling, predominantly herbivorous apes that inhabit the forests of central Africa. Gorillas are divided into two species and either four or five subspecies...
s. He had been trying to find observers since 1946. In 1956, he sent his secretary, Rosalie Osborn, to Mount Muhabura
Mount Muhabura
Mount Muhabura, also known as Mount Muhavura, is an extinct volcano in the Virunga Mountains on the border between Rwanda and Uganda. At 4,127 m, Muhabura is the third highest of the eight major mountains of the mountain range, which is a part of the East African Rift Valley. Muhabura lies partly...
in Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
to "help habituate" gorillas, but she lasted only four months, and returned to England. Leakey was considering taking the job himself when Goodall providentially brought herself to his attention.
In order to fund Goodall's research at the Gombe Stream Preserve, Leakey created the Tigoni Primate Research Center in 1958. With donations from sources including the National Geographic and the Wilkie Foundation, the Tigoni Research Center helped secure funding for all three angels, in addition to being a facility for conducting research on primates. Tigoni is not far from Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
. After Kenya achieved independence the center became the National Primate Research Center. Currently it is the Institute of Primate Research of the National Museums of Kenya
National Museums of Kenya
The National Museums of Kenya is a State Corporation that manages Museums, Sites and Monuments in Kenya. It also practices scientific research. Its headquarters and the National Museum are located on Museum Hill, near Uhuru Highway between Central Business District and Westlands in Nairobi...
, located in Nairobi.
At the time of Leakey's death in 1972, Goodall and Fossey had progressed significantly in their long term field research in Africa, while Galdikas was just getting underway with her field studies in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. At the time, a fourth female researcher, Toni Jackman, had been selected to study bonobo
Bonobo
The bonobo , Pan paniscus, previously called the pygmy chimpanzee and less often, the dwarf or gracile chimpanzee, is a great ape and one of the two species making up the genus Pan. The other species in genus Pan is Pan troglodytes, or the common chimpanzee...
s in Africa, but the necessary financing and permits had not yet been secured.
Jane Goodall
Jane Goodall became the first of Leakey's Angels when she began her first field study of chimpanzeeChimpanzee
Chimpanzee, sometimes colloquially chimp, is the common name for the two extant species of ape in the genus Pan. The Congo River forms the boundary between the native habitat of the two species:...
culture in the Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
. Goodall had always been passionate about animals and Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, which brought her to the farm of a friend in the Kenya highlands in 1957. From there, she obtained work as a secretary, but acting on her friend's advice she telephoned Louis Leakey with no other thought than to make an appointment to discuss animals. The call was far-reaching in its impact. Leakey was looking for a chimpanzee researcher but he kept the idea to himself for a time. Instead, he insisted Goodall could work for him as a secretary. After obtaining his wife Mary Leakey's approval, Louis sent Goodall to Olduvai Gorge
Olduvai Gorge
The Olduvai Gorge is a steep-sided ravine in the Great Rift Valley that stretches through eastern Africa. It is in the eastern Serengeti Plains in northern Tanzania and is about long. It is located 45 km from the Laetoli archaeological site...
, where he confessed his plans. The funds had to be found first.
In 1958, Leakey sent Goodall to London to study primate behavior with Osman Hill
William Charles Osman Hill
William Charles Osman Hill was a British anatomist, primatologist, and a leading authority on primate anatomy during the 20th century...
and primate anatomy with John Napier
John Napier (primatologist)
John Russell Napier, MRCS, LRCP, D.Sc. was a British primatologist, paleoathropologist, and physician, who is notable for his work with Homo habilis and OH 7, as well as on human and primate hands/feet...
. In 1959, Leakey became romantic about Goodall, but she refused him firmly. Neither bore any ill will. The funds were found in that year, and in 1960 Jane went to Gombe with her mother Vanne Morris-Goodall. The presence of Vanne was necessary to satisfy the requirements of David Anstey, chief warden, who was concerned for their safety. He cancelled the permit briefly. After Goodall was sent to observe vervet monkey
Vervet Monkey
The vervet monkey , or simply vervet, is an Old World monkey of the family Cercopithecidae native to Africa. The term "vervet" is also used to refer to all the members of the genus Chlorocebus....
s, the permit was reinstated.
Dian Fossey
In 1967, Dian Fossey became Leakey's second Angel, beginning her extended study of mountain gorillaMountain Gorilla
The Mountain Gorilla is one of the two subspecies of the Eastern Gorilla. There are two populations. One is found in the Virunga volcanic mountains of Central Africa, within three National Parks: Mgahinga, in south-west Uganda; Volcanoes, in north-west Rwanda; and Virunga in the eastern Democratic...
s in the Virunga Volcanoes of Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
. She had lived a somewhat reclusive life as an occupational therapist working with disabled children in California. Earlier she had been interested in veterinary science. In 1963 she decided to seek adventure in Africa and took a trip there with borrowed money. Happening to visit Olduvai, she came to Leakey's attention by spraining her ankle, falling into the excavation, and vomiting on a giraffe fossil.
Dian returned home to repay the money. In 1966, Leakey happened to be in Louisville lecturing. Dian went to the lecture, spoke momentarily to Leakey, and to her surprise he remembered her and asked her to stay after the lecture. The next day after an hour's interview at Leakey's hotel, he hired her to observe gorillas, taking up where George Schaller
George Schaller
George Beals Schaller is an American mammalogist, naturalist, conservationist and author. Schaller is recognized by many as the world's preeminent field biologist, studying wildlife throughout Africa, Asia and South America. Born in Berlin, Schaller grew up in Germany, but moved to Missouri as a...
had left off. On January 6, 1967, she arrived at the Virunga Mountains
Virunga Mountains
The Virunga Mountains are a chain of volcanoes in East Africa, along the northern border of Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. The mountain range is a branch of the Albertine Rift, a part of the Great Rift Valley. They are located between Lake Edward and Lake Kivu...
in a land rover with Alan Root
Alan Root
Alan Root is an Oscar-nominated filmmaker who worked on nature documentary series' such as Survival.He was married to fellow filmmaker Joan Root, who was a Kenyan-born conservationist and ecological activist...
and a small party and hiked into the mountains, where she set up camp. Root left. Fossey began to succeed in observation almost from the beginning. She seemed to have an empathy with the gorillas.
Birutė Galdikas
Goodall and Fossey were well underway in their study programs in Africa when Birutė Galdikas attended a March, 1969, lecture by Leakey at UCLA, where she was a student. She had already formed the intent of studying orangutanOrangutan
Orangutans are the only exclusively Asian genus of extant great ape. The largest living arboreal animals, they have proportionally longer arms than the other, more terrestrial, great apes. They are among the most intelligent primates and use a variety of sophisticated tools, also making sleeping...
s, and stayed after the lecture to solicit Leakey's help. In between his conversations with other fans, she managed to tentatively convince him to support her orangutan research. Leakey did wish to find an observer of orangutans and had asked Goodall to do it years before, but Goodall refused, as she was preoccupied by the chimpanzees.
Louis interviewed Galdikas the next day at the home of Joan and Arnold Travis, Leakey's base in Southern California during his regular lecture tours on the West coast. Leakey accepted the application and over the next months set up an expedition with the necessary permissions. In 1971, she became the third angel, when she began field studies of orangutans in the jungles of Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
.