Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Dr. Jane Goodall, the pioneering primatologist whose groundbreaking work with chimpanzees forever changed the world’s understanding of animal behavior and inspired generations of conservationists, has died at the age of 91. The Jane Goodall Institute announced her passing on Wednesday, confirming that she died of natural causes while in California on a public speaking tour.
“Dr. Jane Goodall DBE, UN Messenger of Peace and Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute, has passed away due to natural causes,” the organization stated. “She was in California as part of her speaking tour in the United States. Dr. Goodall’s discoveries as an ethologist revolutionized science, and she was a tireless advocate for the protection and restoration of our natural world.”
Born Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall on April 3, 1934, in Bournemouth, England, Jane Goodall rose from humble beginnings to become one of the most influential scientists and environmentalists of the 20th and 21st centuries. Her name became synonymous with chimpanzee research after her decades-long study of wild chimpanzees in Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania, beginning in the 1960s.
Without formal scientific training at the outset of her career, Goodall’s methods initially drew skepticism but her patient, immersive, and meticulous observation style ultimately led to one of the most significant breakthroughs in primatology. She was the first to document chimpanzees using tools, an ability once thought to be uniquely human thus challenging long-held assumptions about the boundary between humans and animals.
Her work not only redefined the relationship between humans and the animal kingdom, but also brought global attention to the need for conservation. In 1977, she founded the Jane Goodall Institute to support research at Gombe and to promote wider efforts in wildlife protection, habitat preservation, and community-based conservation. Her Roots & Shoots program, launched in 1991, empowered young people in over 100 countries to take action on behalf of animals, people, and the environment.
In recognition of her extraordinary contributions, Goodall was named a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2004 and served as a United Nations Messenger of Peace since 2002.
Though her early fame came through science, her later decades were marked by relentless global advocacy. She traveled constantly, speaking to audiences large and small about the urgency of environmental protection, the ethical treatment of animals, and the interconnectedness of all life on Earth.
Dr. Goodall remained an active public figure well into her 90s, continuing to tour and speak on behalf of environmental causes. Her presence in California at the time of her passing reflected her enduring commitment to education, awareness, and mobilizing global action.
Tributes poured in from around the world on Wednesday, with scientists, activists, world leaders, and admirers expressing admiration for her life’s work and mourning the loss of a woman whose legacy transcends science.
Jane Goodall leaves behind a vast and enduring impact not only on the scientific understanding of primates, but on the moral consciousness of humanity itself.
She is survived by her family, a global network of colleagues and students, and the countless lives she inspired to care more deeply for the natural world.
Egypt Daily News send its deepest condolences to the family.
