On October 1, 2025, the world bid farewell to one of its most beloved scientists and conservationists: Dr. Jane Goodall, who passed away at the age of 91 of natural causes while on a speaking tour in California. Encyclopedia Britannica+4AP News+4Reuters+4 Her death marks the end of an era — yet her influence and vision live on through the countless lives she touched, the movement she helped lead, and the example she set.
Early Life & the Spark That Changed Everything
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Jane Morris Goodall was born on April 3, 1934, in London, England. Encyclopedia Britannica+2Biography+2 From childhood, she was enamored of animals, reading books like Doctor Dolittle and Tarzan, and aspiring to one day witness the wild animals of Africa. Biography+2National Geographic Education+2
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She left formal schooling at 18 and worked as a secretary and film production assistant, saving up money to travel to Africa. The Washington Post+3Encyclopedia Britannica+3Biography+3
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In the late 1950s, she traveled to Kenya and met the eminent anthropologist Louis Leakey, who encouraged her to study wild chimpanzees. The Washington Post+4Biography+4Encyclopedia Britannica+4
That meeting set Goodall on a path that would reshape how humans understand themselves and their place in the natural world.
Gombe & the Revolution in Chimpanzee Research
In July 1960, at age 26, Goodall arrived in what is now Tanzania to begin her long-term study of wild chimpanzees at Gombe Stream. The Washington Post+4Jane Goodall Institute USA+4National Geographic Education+4
What she discovered surprised the scientific community and the public alike:
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She found that chimpanzees use tools — for example, modifying twigs to extract termites. This contradicted the prevailing belief that tool use was uniquely human. Jane Goodall Institute USA+4Encyclopedia Britannica+4National Geographic Education+4
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She documented deep social relationships, emotional behaviors, and individual personalities among chimpanzees. Jane Goodall Institute USA+4The Washington Post+4Biography+4
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She observed both peaceful and sometimes violent behavior — her studies revealed that chimps could wage war, form alliances, show compassion, and grieve. The Washington Post+2Encyclopedia Britannica+2
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Because she immersed herself in the lives of her subjects — staying for years in the forest, letting trust build — she broke from more distant observation methods. Her style emphasized empathy, patience, and humility. The Washington Post+3Encyclopedia Britannica+3National Geographic Education+3
Her work permanently blurred the sharp line previously drawn between “humans” and “animals,” calling into question many assumptions about intelligence, emotion, and our ethical obligations toward other species.
Transition to Advocacy, Conservation & Education
As her scientific career matured, Goodall’s focus extended beyond academic research into activism, education, and building institutions to carry forward her ideals.
Jane Goodall Institute & Roots & Shoots
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In 1977, she founded the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) to support ongoing research, conservation, and community-centered environmental efforts. The Washington Post+3Encyclopedia Britannica+3Jane Goodall Institute USA+3
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In 1991, she launched Roots & Shoots, a youth-driven program aimed at empowering young people to undertake local projects for animals, the environment, and communities. The Washington Post+3Encyclopedia Britannica+3Jane Goodall Institute USA+3
JGI now operates in dozens of countries around the world, carrying forward programs in habitat restoration, community conservation, policy advocacy, and education. The Washington Post+3Jane Goodall Institute USA+3Jane Goodall's Good for All News+3
Message & Activism
In her later years, Goodall became a global voice on issues such as:
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Climate change & biodiversity loss: She repeatedly urged viewing every day as Earth Day — emphasizing that incremental individual actions, when aggregated, can make a difference. Encyclopedia Britannica+3Jane Goodall's Good for All News+3Jane Goodall Institute USA+3
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Ethical treatment of animals: She opposed animal testing, habitat destruction, and practices that commodify creatures without regard to their welfare. Encyclopedia Britannica+2Jane Goodall Institute USA+2
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Hope & empowerment: Unlike many environmental voices warning of doom, Goodall always infused her speeches with hope and faith in humans’ capacity to change — but she insisted that change must be active, collective, and ongoing. Encyclopedia Britannica+3Jane Goodall's Good for All News+3Jane Goodall Institute USA+3
Even into her 90s, she traveled over 300 days a year, giving lectures, meeting young activists, and spreading her message. The Washington Post+3Jane Goodall Institute USA+3People.com+3
Honours, Awards & Public Recognition
Over her lifetime, Goodall received many of the world’s highest honors. A few highlights:
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She was made Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2003. Encyclopedia Britannica+2The Washington Post+2
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She was appointed UN Messenger of Peace in 2002. Encyclopedia Britannica+2Jane Goodall Institute USA+2
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In January 2025, she was awarded the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom — one of the United States’ highest civilian honors. The Guardian+3The Washington Post+3Jane Goodall Institute USA+3
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Her scientific accolades also included the Templeton Prize (2021), Kyoto Prize, Benjamin Franklin Medal, the Ghandi-King Award for Nonviolence, the Tyler Prize, and many more. The Washington Post+3Encyclopedia Britannica+3Jane Goodall Institute USA+3
Her public recognition went beyond science — she became a cultural icon, showing that a scientist could also be a storyteller, a moral voice, a gentle warrior for the planet.
Final Years & Passing
In the months leading up to her passing, Goodall remained tirelessly active:
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She released messages for Earth Day 2025, emphasizing that global crises require daily, persistent effort. Jane Goodall's Good for All News
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Her institute published commentary and updates, such as in their Good For All News, reflecting on the ongoing legacy and future of conservation work. Jane Goodall's Good for All News+1
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Tragically, just before a scheduled talk in Pasadena, she died. ABC7 Los Angeles
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The Jane Goodall Institute announced her passing, confirming she died of natural causes during a speaking tour. The Washington Post+3AP News+3Reuters+3
At the time of her death, she was in Los Angeles, and she is survived by her son, Hugo Eric Louis van Lawick, three grandchildren, and her sister, Judy. AP News+3Jane Goodall Institute USA+3The Washington Post+3
Legacy: What Jane Goodall Leaves Behind
A New Way of Seeing the Natural World
Goodall’s work changed how science and society view animals. She insisted that chimpanzees — and by extension, many animals — are not blank slates but beings with emotions, agency, and moral value. That shift in mindset drove new fields: animal cognition, conservation ethics, behavioral ecology.
Institutions & Movement
The Jane Goodall Institute and Roots & Shoots continue to mobilize youth, communities, and researchers across the globe. Even after her passing, these organizations provide infrastructure, networks, and a moral compass for future generations.
Conservation in Crisis
Her legacy is especially urgent now. In mid-2025, it was reported that a chimpanzee conservation project in Tanzania — supported by JGI — was under threat because of funding cuts from USAID. The Guardian The project, titled Hope Through Action, aimed at reforestation and community-based protection efforts, is critical in the face of rapidly declining chimpanzee populations (fewer than 340,000 remain in the wild). The Guardian
Her name now stands not just as a record of past achievements, but as a clarion call: the work is unfinished, and the stakes are higher than ever.
Inspiration & Hope
Perhaps her most enduring gift is the inspiration she gave to countless people — young and old — to believe that one person, acting with conviction and compassion, can make a difference. Her favorite refrain, repeated again and again: “Every single one of us makes a difference every day — it is up to us what kind of difference we make.” Jane Goodall Institute USA+2Jane Goodall's Good for All News+2
Her story reminds us that science, ethics, hope, and activism are not separate things — they can merge into a life’s work that changes the world.
Closing Thoughts
Jane Goodall’s passing is a profound moment of mourning — but it is also a moment of reflection, recommitment, and renewal. As we remember her, we do well to ask:
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How will we carry forward her spirit of curiosity, empathy, and perseverance?
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In the face of biodiversity loss, climate change, and ecological crisis, how will we act?
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What example will we leave for the next generation — not just of what we knew, but of how we lived?
She once said, “What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” Let us honor her by making that difference — today, and every day.
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