Dr. Jane Goodall, the beloved primatologist and the world’s leading expert on chimpanzees, passed away peacefully from natural causes on Oct. 1, at the age of 91. Goodall passed away in Los Angeles, California, where she had just held an event as part of her speaking tour across the United States, reflecting on her career and achievements. It can be said with utmost certainty that Goodall died doing what she loved.
“The least I can do is speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves.”
Dr. Jane Goodall, The Book of Hope
Goodall was born on April 3, 1934, in a suburb of London, where her love of primates began. She had always been fond of animals and found Africa especially interesting. It wasn’t until her twenties that she visited Africa, when a friend invited her to study chimpanzees in Kenya on a six-month expedition under paleoanthropologist Dr. Louis Leakey. This half-year venture soon turned into a twenty-six-year-long career for Goodall, and her life was changed forever.
Twenty-five years of observations on chimpanzee behavior and standing in that very forest in Kenya were published in Goodall’s book, “The Chimpanzees of Gombe: Patterns of Behavior,” which brought her public success in the scientific world. During this period, Goodall discovered that chimpanzees were critically endangered and on the verge of extinction. It was at this point that she decided it was going to be her life’s mission to advocate for chimpanzees and boost their population in any way she could.
Goodall transformed her research into advocacy and conservation. In 1977, she founded the Jane Goodall Institute to educate the public about the great apes and help communities focus on conservation efforts through education, technology, and research data. Her institute strives to protect the great apes and to continue to increase the populations of endangered species.
Goodall has worked consistently for decades advocating for the apes out of passion and care for animals who cannot speak for themselves. She has worked on magazines, documentaries, and books through her association with National Geographic and has since become a powerful voice for the animal kingdom.
In 2002, she was recognized as a United Nations Global Messenger of Peace for her efforts in promoting global peace and environmental preservation. She was also knighted as a Dame of the British Empire in 2003. And while these titles are prestigious and carry a high level of honor worldwide, it was her local efforts that made the most significant impact. Goodall emphasized the importance of individual action and sought to educate others on what they could do to protect their environment. She also visited small communities in Africa to teach them how to take care of their neighboring species and environment.Â
Goodall exerted such a high level of care for everyone that is rarely replicated, and that’s why her death has such a heavy impact on the world. She was a beacon of hope for animals and the environment, but her impact doesn’t have to die with her. Goodall would want all of us to honor her by taking better care of the environment, one step at a time. So, go ahead and pick up a piece of litter left behind today in her honor. We will always cherish her life and her achievements, and she will be deeply missed.