Orangutan Foundation International

Founded by Dr. Birutė Galdikas, one of three anthropologists (The Trimates) to study great apes under the guidance of Dr. Louis Leakey, OFI continues to rescue and rehabilitate orangutans, preparing them for release back into protected areas of the Indonesian rain forest.

Originally called the Orangutan Research and Conservation Project, OFI was founded by Galdikas and former husband Rod Brindamour in 1986.

The OFI's research facilities are located in the Indonesian owned part of Borneo, the third largest island in the world.

[2] Charity Navigator assesses non-profit organizations by rating their performances based on Financial Health and their Accountability and Transparency.

The OFI also educates the public and the government about orangutans, rain forest, and the issues around conservation and protection of the apes and their environment.

The precursor to the OFI was the Orangutan Research and Conservation Project (ORCP), founded in 1971 by Galdikas with the help of Louis Leakey as moral and financial support.

[1] Lawyer John Beal visited Camp Leakey in 1979 and after his return to the United States, aided Galdikas' and others in the establishment of The Orangutan Foundation in Los Angeles, California, which is headquarters for the OFI.

[6] Others other than the OFI have studied and researched at Camp Leakey including graduate and undergraduate students from multiple institutions such as Universitas Nasional, a college in Indonesia, and universities in the United States.

The orangutans in the care center are taken each day by their keepers to Camp Leakey to be allowed to play in their natural habitat.