Jane Goodall Dies at 91

LONDON, ENGLAND — Jane Goodall, the British-born primatologist whose groundbreaking study of chimpanzees challenged scientific views of humans and redefined conservation, has died at the age of 91, the Jane Goodall Institute announced on Oct. 1 via social media.

Goodall shot to global prominence in 1960 when she began immersive fieldwork at Gombe Stream Game Reserve in what was then Tanganyika, now Tanzania. Over decades, she documented chimpanzee behaviors that blurred the line between humans and other primates—tool use, emotional bonds, hierarchical social structures, and mourning rituals—reshaping how the world viewed animal cognition and our place in nature.

Goodall founded the Jane Goodall Institute in 1977 to protect chimpanzees and promote conservation and global environmental awareness. She traveled the world giving motivating speeches, mentoring youth programs, including Roots & Shoots, and advocating for the sustainable coexistence of humans and wildlife.

Her body of work and her ethical voice inspired generations of scientists, conservationists, educators, and animal lovers.

Goodall is survived by family, colleagues at her institute, and legions of admirers whose lives she transformed through her example. Funeral and memorial arrangements are to be announced by the Jane Goodall Institute.