Dr. Jane Goodall, the world-renowned British primatologist and conservationist whose groundbreaking research on chimpanzees revolutionized our understanding of the natural world, has died at the age of 91.
The Jane Goodall Institute confirmed her passing in a statement, announcing that she died of natural causes on Wednesday, October 1, 2025. At the time, she was in California as part of an ongoing speaking tour in the United States, a testament to her tireless advocacy that continued until the very end of her life.
Born in London in 1934, Dr. Goodall began her pioneering research in 1960 at Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania. With no formal scientific training, she immersed herself in the lives of wild chimpanzees, winning their trust and making a series of astonishing discoveries. Her observation that chimpanzees make and use tools shattered the long-held belief that this was a uniquely human trait, forcing science to redefine humanity's place in the animal kingdom.
Her work revealed the complex social and emotional lives of chimpanzees, showing them to have individual personalities and to form strong family bonds. This intimate, long-term approach to field research transformed primatology.
In 1977, she founded the Jane Goodall Institute, which continues her conservation work, protecting chimpanzees and their habitats. She also established the Roots & Shoots program, a global youth initiative focused on environmental and humanitarian action.
Throughout her life, Dr. Goodall transitioned from scientist to activist, becoming one of the most powerful and respected voices for conservation and animal welfare. Appointed a UN Messenger of Peace and a Dame Commander of the British Empire, she traveled the world, urging action on climate change and the protection of biodiversity. Her legacy is not only in her scientific discoveries but in the generations she inspired to create a more compassionate and sustainable world.