Benjamin Galstaun

1977 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for Government Service from Indonesia. Benjamin Galstaun was the first Director of the Ragunan Zoological Garden. The Zoo was his creation, a shady green place tucked into a corner of Jakarta's sweltering sprawl. Galstaun and wife Henriette made significant contributions to the development of the Ragunan Zoo. They were selected to plan and design the site. They did every kind of job at the zoo, from plumbing to enclosure design, to ensure that the zoo had modern facilities and spacious enclosures and safely moved the animals to their new home. They had served the zoo for two decades. Galstaun’s dedication in championing wildlife conservation did not end with being a zoo director. He worked with the Department of Nature and Conservation and Wildlife Management to control the illicit wildlife trade. He worked tirelessly to network with international organizations dedicated to conservation. After his retirement, Galstaun helped with the planning of other zoos in Asia. Galstaun was one of the pioneers in Asia of the modern zoo.