Jane Goodall, renowned chimpanzee expert, dies at 91

British conservationist and animal researcher Jane Goodall has died of natural causes on Wednesday (October 1), the Jane Goodall Institute confirmed. She was in California at the time, on a US speaking tour.

Renowned for identifying human-like behaviours among chimpanzees, Goodall also served as a UN Messenger of Peace and was an honorary member of the World Future Council.

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Who was Jane Goodall?

Jane Goodall, an English primatologist and anthropologist, was regarded as one of the world’s leading experts on chimpanzees.

Drawn to animals since childhood, she travelled to Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park in 1960, without formal academic training, to study chimpanzees in their natural habitat.

Challenging the practice of numbering the animals, she gave them names and made groundbreaking observations that reshaped scientific understanding, proving that chimpanzees engage in social behaviours and are capable of emotions.

In Public Service Broadcasting’s 1996 programme Jane Goodall’s Wild Chimpanzees, she stressed that it wasn’t only humans who had distinct personalities, rational thought, and feelings such as joy and sorrow.

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Groundbreaking thesis

In 1962, despite not holding a bachelor’s degree, Goodall was admitted to the University of Cambridge to pursue a PhD in ethology.

Her thesis on the Behaviour of Free-Living Chimpanzees in 1966 was based on the observations made during her initial study at the Gombe Reserve.

The discoveries drastically changed the way the animals were studied, highlighting chimpanzees's close evolutionary link to humans.

In 1977, she founded the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), a global organisation dedicated to wildlife research, education, and conservation.

The JGI works to protect chimpanzees and other primates through sanctuaries, community engagement, and law enforcement initiatives.

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A Barbie in her honour

In 2022, Mattel released a Barbie doll modelled on Jane Goodall ahead of World Chimpanzee Day. Made from 75 percent recycled ocean-bound plastic, the doll reflected her focus on protecting the environment.

Part of the "Inspiring Women" series, the Barbie featured Goodall in field attire with binoculars, a notebook, and was accompanied by David Graybeard — the grey-chinned chimpanzee she first studied in Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania in 1960.

Welcoming the launch, Goodall remarked, "Girls don’t want just to be film stars and things like that; many of them, like me, want to be out in nature studying animals. And so a Barbie doll who’s Jane is a super idea."

She often encouraged young people to connect with nature, noting that once you explore it, "you are fascinated and want to learn about it and protect it."