With great sadness, the world bids farewell to Jane Goodall, who passed away on October 1, 2025, at the age of 91 while on a speaking tour in California.
Her groundbreaking scientific work, her deep respect for animals, and her commitment to conservation transformed how we perceive the natural world and our relationship with it.
In this article, we reflect on her life, her major achievements, lesser-known stories, and the evolution of her ethical stance, including her adoption of a plant-based lifestyle.
Early Life and the Path to Gombe
Birth and childhood: Jane was born Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall on April 3, 1934, in London, England. From a young age, she was fascinated by animals and nature, keeping birds, rabbits, and insects, and reading voraciously about wildlife.
Journey to Africa: In 1957, she traveled to Kenya, where she met pioneering anthropologist Louis Leakey, who encouraged her interest in studying primates in the wild.
Gombe research begins: In 1960, with minimal scientific training but a spirit of curiosity, Jane arrived at the Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania to study wild chimpanzees. Her approach was unorthodox: she named individual chimpanzees (rather than numbering them), patiently gained their trust, and observed their social interactions and behavior over years.
Major Discoveries & Scientific Impact
Tools, Culture, Emotion
One of Jane Goodall’s most famous discoveries was that chimpanzees make and use tools — for example, crafting termite “fishing sticks” to extract insects. This challenged the long-held view that tool-making was uniquely human.
She also documented complex social behaviors: cooperation, sharing, conflict, grief, reconciliation, and emotions. Her work broke down rigid boundaries between humans and animals.
Conservation & Community Integration
Beyond primatology, Jane’s vision expanded to holistic conservation: protecting habitats, supporting local communities, and integrating sustainable development. She founded the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) in 1977 to promote this integrated approach.
She also launched Roots & Shoots, a youth-led environmental and social action program active in 100+ countries, to empower young people to address issues of conservation, biodiversity, and human welfare.
Other initiatives included chimpanzee rehabilitation centers (e.g. in Congo) for orphans affected by bushmeat trade, and reforestation projects around Gombe to restore habitat.
Later Years & Advocacy
In her later decades, Jane became a global voice for climate action, animal welfare, and ethical consumption. She frequently spoke at conferences, universities, and public events until her final years.
She also held influential roles, such as being named a UN Messenger of Peace in 2002, and advocating for stronger protections for animals and ecosystems.
Less-Known & Surprising Facts
Bigfoot believer? Jane once expressed interest in unexplained primate legends, like Bigfoot / Yeti. Though she remained scientifically cautious, she said she’d love for such creatures to exist and found the topic “fascinating.”
Cartoon controversy: In 1987, a Far Side cartoon depicted chimpanzees gossiping over a blonde hair and referencing Jane Goodall in a tongue-in-cheek way. The Jane Goodall Institute responded, and later Goodall wrote the preface to The Far Side Gallery 5 defending artistic license and humor.
Birthday with 90 dogs: In 2024, to celebrate her 90th birthday, a “90-Dog Salute” was organized — she spent part of the day being greeted by 90 dogs at a beach, a joyous moment she recalled fondly in interviews.
No formal degree at start: When Jane began her chimpanzee studies, she lacked formal academic credentials in zoology. Her field observations and determination eventually led her to earn a PhD from Cambridge.
Health & longevity habits: Into her 90s, she maintained an active travel and speaking schedule. Some observers believe her adoption of a plant-based diet helped her vitality.
How She Became Vegan / Plant-Based
Jane Goodall gradually moved toward a plant-based diet over time, motivated by ethical concerns about animal suffering, environmental impact, and personal health.
In her 2017 article “Why I Went Plant-Based”, she explained that confronting what meat consumption represents — the pain, suffering, and disconnection from living beings — prompted her decision.
She often said that many people who claim to love animals nevertheless consume animal products, which she saw as a moral contradiction.
By 2021, it is documented that she had adopted a full vegan diet.
She even participated in Eat Meat Less, and was vocal about reducing meat consumption globally for sake of climate, biodiversity, and compassion.
Legacy & What Comes Next
Jane Goodall’s influence spans science, activism, youth education, and moral philosophy. Her approach to conservation was inclusive of local human communities, understanding that people and nature are deeply intertwined.
Her Jane Goodall Institute continues globally as a living legacy, promoting her principles, maintaining conservation projects, and inspiring new generations.
Tributes have poured in from world leaders, scientists, activists, and everyday people, recognizing that her work changed not just how we study nature, but how we live ethically and compassionately.
Her life teaches us that one person’s curiosity, empathy, and persistence can reshape global perspectives — on animals, on ecosystems, on our moral obligations.
Jane Goodall’s passing marks the end of a luminous chapter in scientific and environmental history. But her voice, her discoveries, and her moral clarity continue to echo. She showed us how to look beyond narrow boundaries — between species, between humans and nature — and how to act with purpose.
As we mourn, we also recommit: to care for other beings, to defend what is fragile, and to live with respect for the web of life she devoted herself to understanding.