Dr. Jane Goodall, renowned conservationist as well as an advocate for animals who championed chimpanzee research, has died at the age of 91.
The Jane Goodall Institute announced in a statement posted on social media Wednesday that Goodall died of natural causes while in California on a speaking tour of the United States.
The statement read: “The Jane Goodall Institute has learned this morning, Wednesday, October 1, 2025, that Dr. Jane Goodall DBE, UN Messenger of Peace and Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute has passed away due to natural causes. She was in California as part of her speaking tour in the United States. Dr. Goodall’s discoveries as an ethologist revolutionized science, and she was a tireless advocate for the protection and restoration of our natural world.”
Goodall was just 26 years old when she first entered Tanzania in the 1960s, and began her important research on chimpanzees in the wild. Throughout her study of the species, Goodall rose to prominence through her groundbreaking research, and became one of the first scientists to document how these primates use tools, communicate, and form intricate social bonds – proving that the primates display an array of similar behaviors to humans, such as the ability to develop individual personalities. Her insights that reshaped the way the world understands animal behavior, with her discoveries opening the door to generations of primate research conducted in the wild and setting a new standard for studying animals in their natural environments.
The Jane Goodall Institute was established in 1977 by Goodall and Genevieve di San Faustino, headquartered in Washington, D.C. with offices in 25 cities around the world. The organization aims to improve the treatment and understanding of primates through public education and legal representation. The Institute summarized Goodall’s legacy this way: she “entered the forest to learn about the remarkable lives of chimpanzees—and emerged determined to protect them.”
Goodall was awarded throughout her life with several honors, including being appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for “services to zoology” in 1995, and promoted to Dame Commander in 2003. Goodall’s other honors included the French Legion of Honor, Japan’s Kyoto Prize and the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom.
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