Jane Goodall, Legendary Chimpanzee Researcher, Dies at 91

Dr. Jane Goodall, the trailblazing ethologist whose groundbreaking research on chimpanzees redefined humanity’s understanding of the natural world, has died at age 91. The Jane Goodall Institute confirmed Wednesday, October 1, that she passed away of natural causes while on a speaking tour in California.

“Dr. Goodall’s discoveries as an ethologist revolutionized science, and she was a tireless advocate for the protection and restoration of our natural world,” the institute said in a statement.

Goodall is survived by her son, Hugo, and three grandchildren.

A Life Devoted to Animals and Discovery

Born in London in 1934 to engineer Mortimer Morris-Goodall and novelist Margaret Joseph, Goodall grew up with an innate love for animals. As a child, she carried around a stuffed chimpanzee named Jubilee, a gift from her father, which she cherished her entire life. Her fascination with wildlife and faraway lands took root early. “My dream of Africa started when I was 10,” she recalled in a 2020 interview.

Encouraged by her mother’s belief that she could achieve anything she put her mind to, Goodall set her sights on Africa. In 1957, she traveled to Kenya, where she met famed anthropologist Louis Leakey. Recognizing her curiosity and determination, Leakey offered her a position as his secretary and soon directed her toward studying primates. Three years later, in 1960, Leakey sent her to Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania, where she would embark on the work that defined her life.

Redefining What It Means to Be Human

At Gombe, Goodall began her immersive research into chimpanzee behavior, often accompanied by her mother, as authorities at the time would not permit a young woman to work alone in such a remote area.

Her most famous discovery came just months into her study, when she observed a chimp named David Greybeard using a twig to extract termites from a mound—evidence that animals could not only use tools but also modify them. At the time, science held that tool use was a uniquely human trait. Goodall’s finding shook the foundations of anthropology and biology.

Beyond tool use, Goodall documented complex emotional lives, distinct personalities, and intricate social structures among chimpanzees. She described them hugging, kissing, comforting one another, and even engaging in acts of brutality. Her work proved that the gap between humans and animals was far narrower than previously believed.

“We have learned how alike chimpanzees are to us, which has changed science perception,” Goodall told PEOPLE in 2020. “Now we have a different way of thinking about our relationship with all the other animals.”

In 1962, without a bachelor’s degree, Goodall entered Cambridge University and went on to earn a Ph.D. in ethology. She became one of the first scientists to challenge the idea that animals lived without individuality or emotion, changing the field of primatology forever.

Advocate for Conservation

Though her work began in the forests of Gombe, by the 1980s Goodall had become one of the world’s leading voices for conservation. Learning that chimpanzees were being captured for circuses, sold for entertainment, or subjected to medical research, she pivoted from pure science to global activism.

Visiting laboratories herself, she described the heartbreak of seeing chimps in cramped cages and pushed relentlessly for reform. Her advocacy contributed to the eventual retirement of hundreds of chimpanzees from U.S. research programs.

In 1977, she founded the Jane Goodall Institute, and in 1991, she launched the Roots & Shoots program to empower young people to work toward environmental stewardship. Her efforts earned her international recognition, including being named a United Nations Messenger of Peace in 2002.

Goodall was also a prominent voice in the fight against climate change. She traveled the globe well into her later years, delivering lectures on the urgent need to protect ecosystems. “Around the world, people are waking up, and they’re ready for change,” she said in 2020. “I have hope, but only if we [work] together.”

Personal Life and Family

Goodall married Dutch photographer Baron Hugo van Lawick in 1964, with whom she had her son, Hugo. The marriage ended in divorce after a decade. In 1975, she wed Tanzanian parks director Derek Bryceson, who died of cancer in 1980. She never remarried, later saying, “My life was complete. I didn’t need a husband.”

Despite her demanding schedule, she raised her son while continuing her work in Gombe, balancing motherhood with her deep commitment to conservation.

A Lasting Legacy

Over the course of her career, Goodall authored more than a dozen books, including the widely praised The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times in 2021. She inspired generations of scientists, activists, and ordinary people to view animals with empathy and to take action for the planet.

Her influence extended far beyond the scientific community. She was admired by world leaders, environmental advocates, and celebrities alike, from Prince Harry to Leonardo DiCaprio and Angelina Jolie, all of whom praised her relentless advocacy.

Jane Goodall’s death marks the end of an era in conservation science, but her life’s work continues through the institute she founded and the countless people she inspired. Her message—that humanity’s fate is tied to the natural world—resonates more strongly than ever.

“We still have a window of time,” she once said. “But only if we work together.”