Conservationist and chimpanzee researcher Dr. Jane Goodall has died at the age of 91, according to statements from the Jane Goodall Institute. The organization confirmed her passing on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, while she was in California as part of a speaking tour in the United States.
The Jane Goodall Institute described her as a revolutionary figure whose discoveries as an ethologist reshaped scientific understanding and who dedicated her life to advocating for the protection of the natural world. The United Nations also expressed grief, calling her a “tireless advocate” for the planet and its inhabitants.
Goodall’s passion for animals began in childhood, she shared with ABC News. Growing up in London and Bournemouth, she dreamed of Africa, inspired by books like “Doctor Dolittle” and “Tarzan.” Her journey to Gombe National Park in Tanzania proved arduous, with challenging terrain and dangers from wildlife, but she found her purpose there.
“She was where she was meant to be,” Goodall said of her time in the park. Over decades, she earned a PhD in ethology from the University of Cambridge, documenting groundbreaking research on chimpanzee behavior. In 1977, she co-founded the Jane Goodall Institute with Genevieve di San Faustino, an organization focused on primate conservation through education and advocacy.
In 2025, Joe Biden awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Her work in the 1960s, including observations of chimpanzees using tools and displaying unique personalities, redefined perceptions of animal intelligence. “They’re so like us,” she remarked in 1997, highlighting the blurred line between humans and animals.
A lifelong conservationist, Goodall raised concerns about deforestation and the fragility of ecosystems. At the 2024 Global Citizen Festival, she warned, “If nature continues to deteriorate, what’s the future for our grandchildren?”
