Home / Science / Pioneering Primatologist Jane Goodall Dies at 91 After Lifelong Ape Research
Pioneering Primatologist Jane Goodall Dies at 91 After Lifelong Ape Research
1 Oct
Summary
- Spent life researching and conserving chimpanzees
- First to give apes names, observe tool use and emotions
- Transformed understanding of animal intelligence
Renowned British primatologist Jane Goodall, who dedicated her life to researching and conserving chimpanzees, passed away on October 1st, 2025 at the age of 91 while on a speaking tour in the United States. Goodall, known for her groundbreaking work in Tanzania's Gombe National Park, was the first researcher to give chimpanzees individual names rather than numbers, and made seminal discoveries about their use of tools and emotional capacities.
Goodall's scientific breakthroughs "profoundly altered the world's view of animal intelligence and enriched our understanding of humanity," according to the head of the John Templeton Foundation, which awarded her a prestigious lifetime achievement award in 2021. Her work transformed the field of primatology, with fellow naturalist David Attenborough describing her as "a woman who had turned the world of zoology upside down."
In addition to her scientific contributions, Goodall also became a tireless advocate for wildlife conservation, criss-crossing the globe to plead the cause of chimpanzees and the wider natural world. She founded the Jane Goodall Institute in 1977 to further the study of chimpanzees, and in 1991 created the Roots and Shoots program to engage young people in environmental issues around the world.
