Liesbeth van der Burgt,
02-01-1970 – 24-08-2016
A few days ago a true friend of the animals, and of my wife and I, passed away. Liesbeth was a vibrant person with boundless energy and true dedication. It was August 2013 when we first met her in Sintang helping our orangutan project. She brought many creative ideas for the keepers to enrich the lives of the orangutans in the quarantine facilities. Language was never a barrier, her smile and example opened all doors to a good cooperation.
I wished we could have had her for much longer than the six weeks she was with us in the heart of Borneo, volunteering for primate orphans, as she did in Africa, always lovingly giving whatever she could contribute. From the Netherlands she helped us with donations to build better quarantine cages, donated medicines and always cheered us up with her lovely, caring personality and her beautiful smiles, not to mention her spontaneous emails. Her last email was to tell us that she would not be able to come to meet us nor her other friends in Masarang Netherlands and Orangutan Rescue, because of the heavy medication she was taking. Although we had hoped that there would still be time to visit her in The Netherlands it was not to be. But thanks to Karin van Dam, another caring animal-lover and project supporter, as well as health care professional, at least we were still able to communicate in a personal way with her, only days before her passing.
Here are some pictures with Liesbeth in Sintang, Borneo, and in Uden, The Netherlands. In the picture from Borneo she sits with Mr. Gibbon, one of her favorites and a gibbon that she only was able to handle to clean him from the dirt and to get him to enjoy the life of swinging again. In Uden she handed us a big box of important medicines for the clinic in the Sintang Orangutan Center.
Beneath is the card we received from her dear friends. Niko, her rescued dog that you can see in the card, followed her all the way to Africa and back and was her most loyal companion. The (Dutch) text says: “You gave so much for both people and animals. So special, so strong, full of love, passion and pleasure.” It also informs us that on August 30th, 2016, there will be a remembrance event for Liesbeth. Liesbeth asked Ingrid van der Locht and the other board members of her foundation (weesaapjes.nl) to continue her work and that rather than flowers she would like to see people donate to the cause she started.
Thank you for all you did in your life cut so short. But you lived it with passion, love and dedication. And this will be how you will live on with us dear Liesbeth.
Willie and Adrienne
August 29th, 2016
Such an amazing woman…At least the last 10 years of her life, mostly 24 hours a day, she was invoulved in some kind of animal/nature rescue procedure. She took hardly one moment for herself. I can’t remember that she ever went on a holiday or spend time or money on herself. EVERYTHING was for the animals. I remember she told me that she was SO charmed and deeply in love with the baby orangutans in your center in Borneo, she didn’t want to leave! She had also many plannes to help Borneo. Therefor it is so hard to bare that such a disinterested, young, person with such a lot of plans had to ”go” so soon. She will be missed in precence, but her foundation ”Weesaapjes” will continue and in that way Liesbeth lives on forever keep helping the animals and Borneo wil not be forgotten….
With kindly regards,
Leon (Netherlands)
By: Leon Spoor on September 13, 2016
at 8:05 am