Primatologist and conservationist Jane Goodall dead at 91

Oct. 1 (UPI) — Jane Goodall, the famous British primatologist and conservationist, died Wednesday at age 91.

The Jane Goodall Institute announced her death via Instagram, saying she died of natural causes and was in California as part of a speaking tour.

Her “discoveries as an ethologist revolutionized science, and she was a tireless advocate for the protection and restoration of our natural world,” according to the institute.

Goodall was born in London, England, and grew up fascinated with animals.

In 1957, a school friend invited her to visit Kenya, where she met the famed paleoanthropologist Dr. Louis Leakey. In 1960, at his invitation, Goodall began her landmark study of chimpanzee behavior in what is now Gombe Stream National Park, Tanzania. She was only 26. Her research included the observations that chimpanzees make and use tools, which revolutionized primatology and redefined the relationship between humans and the rest of the animal kingdom, the Institute said.

“Their behavior, with their gestures, kissing, embracing, holding hands and patting on the back,” she told ABC News in 2020. “…The fact that they can actually be violent and brutal and have a kind of war, but also loving and altruistic.”

When she first arrived in Gombe National Park, she faced challenges with the difficult terrain. But her goal finally had been realized.

“It was what I always dreamed of,” she told ABC.

Goodall’s work was awarded scientific honors as well as helped inspire women and girls to pursue careers in science.

The number of women in STEM has increased from 7% to 26% in the past 60 years, according to The Jane Goodall Institute, which cited census information from 1970 to 2011.

Goodall discussed the climate crisis and the importance of slowing global warming, telling ABC in 2019, “We are definitely at a point where we need to make something happen,” she said. “We are imperiled. We have a window of time. I’m fairly sure we do. But, we’ve got to take action.”

In 1977, Goodall established the Jane Goodall Institutes. Now, there are 24 JGIs around the world working to support the core program inspired by Goodall. These include the ongoing research into wild chimpanzees at Gombe Stream Research Center, as well as managing sanctuaries for orphaned chimpanzees.

She also founded Roots & Shoots, which works to empower young people to work on projects to benefit their communities and animals. Roots & Shoots is active in more than 70 countries.

In April 2002, Secretary General Kofi Annan named Goodall a United Nations Messenger of Peace. In 2004 she became a Dame Commander of the British Empire.

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