Jan Goodall, the famous primatologist, anthropologist and conservationist, has made it her lifelong work to study chimpanzees in the wild, learn from the similarities between chimps and humans, improve how primates are treated, and increase the understanding of the species through the Jane Goodall Institute.
She began her work at just 26 years old when she went to Tanzania for the first time. Sadly, at age 91, she has passed away.
The Jane Goodall Institute announced the sad news on Instagram writing, “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. She was in California as part of her speaking tour in the United States. Dr. Goodall’s discoveries as an ethologist revolutionized science, and she was a tireless advocate for the protection and restoration of our natural world.”
Many people have flooded the comments with sorrow at the loss of such an amazing person who made such a big difference in the world. One person wrote, “A big, big loss in a world that so desperately needs more people like Jane.”
Another comment reads, “This is absolutely a loss to the entire world. We must ensure her work continues on.”
Yet another person shared, “We are heartbroken. Thank you, Dr. Goodall for always being a bright light when the world needed it the most. Your legacy will live on in us.”
In 2020, in an interview with ABC News, Goodall explained that the most surprising thing she discovered in her career is how similar chimpanzees are to humans. She explained, “Their behavior, with their gestures, kissing, embracing, holding hands and patting on the back.” She continued, “The fact that they can actually be violent and brutal and have a kind of war, but also loving an altruistic.”
Goodall has loved animals her whole life, but watching movies like “Tarzan” and “Doctor Dolittle” really inspired her to travel and study animals. When she first visited Gombe National Park, she knew this was what she was meant to do with her life. She said, “It was what I always dreamed of.”
Goodall earned her PhD in ethology, the study of animal behavior, from the University of Cambridge. Then in 1977, she founded the Jane Goodall Institute with Genevieve di San Faustino. She was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace in 2002, and in 2022, she worked with Apple to encourage customers to recycle their products to help the environment. That same year, she was also honored with a Barbie doll made in her likeness.
Her work has inspired many young women to pursue careers in STEM. In fact, from 1970 to 2011, the number of women pursuing careers in STEM has increased from 7% to 26%.
