Jane Goodall, the world’s foremost expert on chimpanzees, has died at 91 while on a speaking tour in California. The Jane Goodall Institute confirmed she passed of natural causes.
Goodall transformed science in 1960 when she observed chimpanzees using tools: “Using a piece of grass as a tool to fish for termites, then picking leafy twigs and stripping the leaves.” Until then, tool use was believed to be uniquely human. Her bold work in Tanzania earned her a Ph.D. from Cambridge, led to the founding of the Jane Goodall Institute in 1977, and inspired more than 40 documentaries.
Her mission was rooted in hope. “We can just give up, or we can say, ‘We’ve done a lot of harm to the environment, but we’re going to fight for what’s left,’” she said in 2020. She spent six decades advocating for wildlife, conservation, and the environment, becoming a UN Messenger of Peace.
Leonardo DiCaprio, a longtime friend, shared a moving tribute: “Jane Goodall devoted her life to protecting our planet and giving a voice to the wild animals… She inspired millions to care, to act, and to hope. She never stopped.” He added, “My last message to Jane was simple: ‘You are my hero.’”
Goodall leaves behind her son, Hugo Eric Louis van Lawick, three grandchildren, and a legacy that continues to inspire generations.
