Dr. Jane Goodall, the legendary primatologist, conservationist and United Nations Messenger of Peace, passed away at the age of 91 on Wednesday. The Jane Goodall Institute confirmed that she died of natural causes while in California, where she remained active in public life until her final days.
Goodall’s groundbreaking studies in Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park, which began in 1960, transformed the scientific understanding of human-animal relations. Without formal academic training at the time, she immersed herself in the lives of wild chimpanzees. Her discovery that chimpanzees not only use but also make tools overturned the long-held belief that tool-making was a uniquely human trait. She also revealed the complexity of their social bonds, emotions, and personalities, forever changing the field of ethology.
Over the next six decades, Goodall’s work extended far beyond the forests of East Africa. She founded the Jane Goodall Institute in 1977 to support research, conservation, and community-centred projects. In 1991, she launched Roots & Shoots, a global youth education programme now active in over 100 countries, including India. Chapters in Delhi, Bengaluru and other cities have engaged students in tree-planting, waste reduction and urban biodiversity campaigns, carrying forward her message that “every individual can make a difference.”
Appointed a United Nations Messenger of Peace in 2002, Goodall became a tireless global advocate for climate action, biodiversity protection and ethical treatment of animals. Her ability to bridge scientific research with moral urgency earned her rare influence, from grassroots activists to world leaders.
Tributes have poured in from across the globe, including India. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change hailed her as “a true friend of nature whose work inspired generations of conservationists.” Indian wildlife experts noted that her compassionate approach to research influenced modern conservation strategies in primate-rich regions such as Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh.
Goodall’s honours included the Templeton Prize, the Gandhi-King Award for Nonviolence, and most recently the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom. Yet she often said her proudest achievement was nurturing young people’s commitment to protect the planet.
Her passing marks the end of an era in science and conservation. But her legacy, a vision of coexistence between humans, animals and the natural world, continues to guide the global movement she inspired.
