The primatologist-turned-conservationist died of natural causes while in
California on a speaking tour, the Jane Goodall Institute said in a social media
post.
Scientist and global activist Jane Goodall, who turned her childhood love of
primates into a lifelong quest to protect the environment, has died at the age
of 91, the institute she founded said on Wednesday. Goodall died of natural
causes while in California on a speaking tour, the Jane Goodall Institute said in
a social media post.
“Dr Goodall’s discoveries as an ethologist revolutionized science, and she was a
tireless advocate for the protection and restoration of our natural world,” it
said on Instagram. The primatologist-turned-conservationist spun her love of
wildlife into a lifelong campaign that took her from a seaside English village to
Africa and then across the globe in a quest to better understand chimpanzees,
as well as the role that humans play in safeguarding their habitat and the
planet’s health overall.
Goodall was a pioneer in her field, both as a female scientist in the 1960s and
for her work studying the behaviour of primates. She created a path for a string
of other women to follow suit, including the late Dian Fossey. She also drew the
public into the wild, partnering with the National Geographic Society to bring
her beloved chimps into their lives through film, TV and magazines.
She upended scientific norms of the time, giving chimpanzees names
instead of numbers, observing their distinct personalities and
incorporating their family relationships and emotions into her work. She
also found that, like humans, they use tools.
This is a long article (Obituary) to Dr Jane Goodall. It is well worth clicking
on the link below to read more about this amazing scientist.
Courtesy Daily Maverick: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-10-01-wildlife-advocate-and-primate-expert-jane-goodall-dies-at-91/