Jane Goodall, whose life’s work in a Tanzanian forest reshaped what the world knows about chimpanzees, died Wednesday at 91. The Jane Goodall Institute said she died of natural causes in California while on a speaking tour.
“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,” the organization said in a statement, noting she was in California for scheduled events.
Born in London in 1934, Goodall arrived at what is now Gombe Stream National Park in July 1960 and began years of close observation that challenged scientific orthodoxy. Her field notes and films documented tool use, coordinated hunting, complex social bonds, and distinct personalities among chimpanzees—findings that narrowed the line long drawn between humans and other primates. The Gombe project, launched with that first camp on Lake Tanganyika, has since become the world’s longest-running study of wild chimpanzees.
Goodall formalized her work by founding the Jane Goodall Institute in 1977; today, two dozen national chapters support her broad, community-centered approach to conservation. The institute’s Tacare program partners with local communities, while two sanctuaries care for orphaned chimpanzees. Her youth network, Roots & Shoots, now active in dozens of countries, encourages young people to lead hands-on projects that benefit their communities, animals, and the environment.
Even late in life, Goodall kept an exhausting schedule—often on the road for much of the year—speaking, writing, and appearing in films, television, and podcasts to press the case for practical conservation. She authored numerous books for adults and children, including The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times, translated into more than 20 languages.
Across six decades, Goodall’s steady presence—part scientist, part teacher, part advocate—moved governments, funders, and everyday citizens to protect great apes and their habitats. Her work trained generations of researchers who still monitor Gombe’s chimpanzees and carry her methods forward.
Tributes from scientists and conservationists poured in Wednesday, praising her patience, clarity, and unfailing optimism. As her institute often summarized her message, she never stopped urging young people to believe they could change the world—and then showed them how.
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