Jane Goodall passes away at 91 years old

Remembering her legacy

Photo courtesy of Jeekc/Wikimedia Commons

In news that shocked the world, Dr. Jane Goodall passed away from natural causes at 91 years old while in California for her speaking tour across the U.S.A. Goodall was a world renowned primatologist, anthropologist, and conservationist. She was best known for her progressive work on humanizing animals—especially chimpanzees

She was born Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall in England. From a young age, Goodall was always fascinated by animals and would dream of traveling alongside wildlife. As a child, she would observe the surrounding nature and animals, which only heightened her desire to explore the world.

In 1957, Goodall met Dr. Louis Seymour Bazett Leakey, a world-renowned paleoanthropologist. Leakey decided that Goodall would be a good choice to send to Gombe Stream Game Reserve to study chimpanzees due to her passion, knowledge, and lack of traditional education, as she was unable to attend formal college, which could bias her research. Chimpanzees and Bonobos are the closest relative to the human species, sharing 98.8 percent of DNA. Leakey hoped that analyzing chimpanzees would provide more insight on behavior and ancestry.

In 1960, Goodall arrived at the reserve and began the difficult mission of finding chimpanzees that would allow her to observe them. Finally, she found a chimpanzee who she named David Greybeard, who allowed her to watch him. His acceptance led to more of the animals trusting her presence.. 

According to the BBC, as time passed, Goodall noticed that they used “tools” as well; the chimpanzees would find termites by using stiff blades of grass to dig them out. An important distinction of chimpanzees is that they make their tools, just like humans do. This discovery revolutionized the way modern scientists think about animals, especially chimpanzees. Goodall’s discovery proved that humans are not the only species that create their own tools and utilize them in logical ways.

She faced a great deal of opposition in her field as a female in a male-dominated field who had not been formally trained, especially given her unique beliefs on animals. Goodall would refer to the animals as “her friends” and would give them names—a practice that was looked down upon by others in her field. Goodall was an advocate for treating animals with respect and empathy, and her insistence has changed the way the world thinks about animals.

In one of her last prerecorded lectures she spoke on mindfulness, saying, "Think about our ecological footprint…I think the ... key thing is to realize that every day on this planet, you make a difference, and if you start thinking about the consequences of the small choices you make -- What you buy? Where did it come from? How was it made? Was there child slave labor [involved]? Did it help the environment? Would you eat it if it didn't involve cruelty to animals? -- you start thinking like that, and millions of people around the world thinking like that, then we start to get the kind of world that we cannot be too embarrassed to leave to our children."

Up until her death, Goodall strived to protect wildlife. She would travel frequently throughout the year, speaking to officials and spreading awareness on why there needs to be more action taken. 

Jane Goodall worked tirelessly on her goals towards conservation and activism throughout her career. She said, “I think it’s now generally accepted that we are not the only beings on the planet with personalities, minds and emotions…That we are part of and not separated from the rest of the animal kingdom.”