Jane Goodall, world-renowned conservationist, activist, and primatologist, died peacefully in her sleep on Wednesday while on a speaking tour in California. The 91-year old was well known for the research she conducted on chimpanzees in Eastern Africa during the 1960s, but also for having a very active role in wildlife conservation efforts.
Dr. Goodall was born on April 3, 1934 in London. She exhibited an early fascination for animals, which was aided by her love of Tarzan. She often joked later in life that Tarzan had married the wrong Jane.
Dr. Goodall’s career began unusually: as a young woman with no higher education other than secretarial school, few would have expected her to end up in the African rainforest. Her journey started when she accepted an offer to visit a friend’s farm in Kenya. There, she met Dr. Louis Leakey and worked as his secretary and assistant for some time. Dr. Leakey had long dreamed of stationing a researcher in Tanzania to study the chimpanzees that lived there, and Dr. Goodall jumped at the opportunity. Dr. Leakey saw her lack of formal training as a benefit, believing that it would help her make unbiased observations.
Officials in Tanzania balked at the idea of allowing a young woman to live solo in the wilderness, so Dr. Goodall brought her mother, an author, with her; the two lived in a single tent in what is now Gombe National Park while observing and studying the chimpanzees.
It certainly wasn’t easy: both women got malaria early on, and the chimpanzees ran away at first, making it all but impossible to make any valuable observations. Dr. Goodall was patient, however, feeding the chimpanzees bananas and slowly building their trust. Over time, she began to observe characteristics that could only be described as human-like.
She found that the chimpanzees had social structures, were affectionate with each other, and engaged in organized warfare. In addition to hugging, kissing, and compassion, she observed cannibalism, assault, and killing. However, the greatest scientific breakthrough she made was the discovery that the chimpanzees used tools. One day, she noticed one animal that she had been observing bend a twig and use it to fish termites out of a hole. This was the first observed instance of a non-human animal using a tool to achieve a goal, and it shocked the scientific community. Her mentor, Dr. Leakey, famously stated, “Now we must redefine tool, redefine man, or accept chimpanzees as human.”
Not all appreciated her research, however. Many criticized her habit of naming her subjects – Flo, Fifi, and David Greybeard, for instance – rather than numbering them. Others took issue with her claim that the chimpanzees had distinct personalities. However, records of the animals interacting with, playing with, and even hugging Dr. Goodall indicate that their interactions were far more human-like than critics would like to believe.
Because of the importance of her work, Dr. Goodall was offered a position in the University of Cambridge’s doctorate program despite having no undergraduate degree.
In the 1970s and 80s, Dr. Goodall’s focus shifted from research to activism after she attended a conference and realized that there was little point conducting her research if the habitats of the animals were being destroyed. She founded the Jane Goodall Institute in 1977, an organization dedicated to conserving wildlife habitats. Since its inception, the Institute has placed 3.4 million acres of land under conservation action plans, protected 290 chimpanzees and gorillas in its sanctuaries, and educated youth worldwide through its Roots and Shoots program. Dr. Goodall also spoke across countries and continents to a wide variety of audiences urging them to see the importance of protecting nature – a quest she continued until the day she died.
In honor of her tireless work, Dr. Goodall was proclaimed a UN Messenger of Peace; named a Dane of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II; earned the National Geographic Hubbard Medal; and, most recently, awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom – the highest civilian honor in the US – by President Biden.
Dr. Goodall’s work extended beyond the reach of the chimpanzees she researched. She revolutionized the way primatology was studied: in a time where six weeks was considered a long period for research, she spent months observing her animals. In fact, the efforts she initiated in Tanzania continue today. She also challenged gender expectations in science, and her colorful stories about her time spent in the wilderness continue to inspire millions of young girls.
Dr. Goodall’s legacy lies in the lives she changed: both human and primate. Her work changed the way the world viewed science, conservation, and the animal kingdom. She herself summed up the lessons she taught the world in her book Reason for Hope:
“Each one of us matters, has a role to play, and makes a difference. Each one of us must take responsibility for our own lives, and above all, show respect and love for living things around us, especially each other.”
