Jane Goodall, the pioneering primatologist whose life’s work transformed our understanding of animals and inspired generations to protect the natural world, has died aged 91.
Her institute confirmed that she passed away of natural causes in California while on a speaking tour. Right up to her final days, she was still sharing her message of hope and action.
From London to Gombe
Born in London in 1934, Jane Goodall’s fascination with animals began in childhood. At 26, she travelled to what was then Tanganyika (now Tanzania) with little more than a notebook, a pair of binoculars and an extraordinary determination.
In 1960, at Gombe Stream National Park, she began her groundbreaking study of wild chimpanzees. Her observations revealed tool use, social hierarchies and emotional complexity, traits once thought to be uniquely human. These discoveries not only redefined science, but also redefined what it meant to be human.
Building a global legacy
Goodall’s findings made headlines and challenged the scientific establishment. Although she began without formal training, she went on to earn a PhD at Cambridge University, one of the few people allowed to do so without an undergraduate degree.
In 1977, she founded the Jane Goodall Institute, now active in over 25 countries, dedicated to conservation, research, and community-centred development. In 1991, she launched Roots & Shoots, a global youth programme encouraging young people to take action for animals, people, and the environment.
Her influence stretched far beyond science. She became one of the world’s most recognisable conservationists, addressing the United Nations, speaking at climate summits, and tirelessly campaigning against habitat loss, wildlife trafficking and environmental destruction. In 2002, she was named a UN Messenger of Peace.
Recognition and honours
Over her lifetime, Goodall received more than 40 honorary degrees and countless awards, including the Kyoto Prize, the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Life Science, and appointment as Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE). She was regularly listed among the most influential people of the 20th and 21st centuries.
A message that endures
News that Jane Goodall has died has triggered tributes worldwide. The United Nations described her as leaving “an extraordinary legacy for humanity and nature.” Greenpeace called her “one of the true conservation giants of our time.”
Goodall herself often said she was not motivated by despair but by hope: the belief that human compassion and action could still change the world. Her decades of work remind us that every individual choice matters, and that caring for animals and protecting the Earth are inseparable from our own future.
Jane Goodall’s milestones
- 1934: Born in London.
- 1960: Begins field study of chimpanzees in Gombe, Tanzania.
- 1965: Her work is featured in a National Geographic documentary, making her internationally known.
- 1977: Establishes the Jane Goodall Institute.
- 1991: Launches Roots & Shoots youth programme.
- 2002: Named UN Messenger of Peace.
- 2025: Jane Goodall dies at 91, still active as a speaker and advocate.
Jane Goodall died, but her message endures: that every one of us can make a difference. Her work bridged the distance between humans and animals, and between despair and hope.
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