Jane Goodall, World-Renowned Primatologist, Dies at 91

Jane Goodall, the British ethologist whose decades of work reshaped humanity’s understanding of chimpanzees and inspired a global movement for conservation, died at the age of 91. The Jane Goodall Institute confirmed that she passed from natural causes while in California on a speaking tour.

Born in London on April 3, 1934, Goodall’s early fascination with animals led her, at age 26, to Tanzania, where she began long-term field research at Gombe Stream National Park. Her close, patient observations of chimpanzees revealed traits once believed unique to humans — the use of tools, emotional expression, social bonds — forcing scientists to reexamine the boundary between mankind and other animals.

In 1977 she founded the Jane Goodall Institute, which continues to advocate for wildlife protec