Washington DC [US], October 2 (ANI): Jane Goodall, the world-renowned primatologist and founder of the Jane Goodall Institute, has died at the age of 91 in Los Angeles due to natural causes, her institute announced.
“The Jane Goodall Institute has learned this morning, Wednesday, October 1, 2025, that Dr. Jane Goodall DBE, UN Messenger of Peace and Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute has passed away due to natural causes. She was in California as part of her speaking tour in the United States,” the statement said.
Goodall’s groundbreaking 65-year study of wild chimpanzees in Gombe Stream National Park, Tanzania, transformed modern primatology. She revealed that chimpanzees form complex social bonds, use tools, and experience emotions such as joy, empathy, and grief. Her discoveries challenged scientific understanding and bridged the gap between humans and animals.
Her research was immortalised in more than 40 documentaries, including the acclaimed 2017 film Jane, which won two Primetime Emmy Awards. The 2023 documentary Jane Goodall: Reasons for Hope highlighted her habitat restoration projects. Goodall also appeared in popular culture, lending her voice to shows like The Simpsons and The Wild Thornberries.
Born Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall on April 4, 1934, in London, she dreamt of Africa from childhood. Driven by passion, she saved money working as a waitress to travel to Kenya. There, she met famed paleontologist Dr. Louis Leakey, who offered her a role at the National Museum in Nairobi, paving the way for her lifelong work. Her 1965 PhD thesis, The Behaviour of Free-living Chimpanzees in the Gombe Stream Reserve, remains a landmark in ethology.
Goodall named individual chimpanzees — including Flo, Fifi, and David Greybeard — and documented their lives in intimate detail, revealing behaviours such as maternal care and social interaction previously unseen in the wild.
In addition to her scientific work, she was a tireless advocate for environmental conservation, animal welfare, human rights, and youth empowerment. She founded the Jane Goodall Institute in 1977 and initiated Roots & Shoots, a global youth programme inspiring young people to protect the environment and animals.
Goodall’s personal life saw her marry twice — first to Dutch wildlife photographer Hugo van Lawick and later to Tanzanian parliamentarian Derek Bryceson, who died in 1980. She is survived by her son, a sister, and three grandchildren.
Jane Goodall leaves behind a legacy not only of scientific discovery but of hope, compassion, and advocacy for the planet and all its creatures. Her work continues to inspire generations to value and protect the natural world.
About The Author
