Jane Goodall, Renowned Chimpanzee Researcher and Conservationist, Dies at 91

Jane Goodall, the celebrated conservationist renowned for her groundbreaking field research with chimpanzees and her prominent environmental advocacy, has died at the age of 91.

The Jane Goodall Institute announced the passing of the famed primatologist in an Instagram post on Wednesday. According to the institute, Goodall died of natural causes while in California as part of a U.S. lecture tour.

Her discoveries "revolutionized science, and she was a tireless advocate for the protection and restoration of our natural world," the Goodall Institute said.

While living among chimpanzees in Africa decades ago, Goodall documented the animals' use of tools and other activities previously believed to be exclusive to humans, while also noting their distinctive personalities. Her observations and subsequent appearances in magazines and documentaries in the 1960s transformed the world's perception not only of humanity's closest living biological relatives but also of the emotional and social complexity of all animals, simultaneously propelling her into the public consciousness.

"Out in the wild, when you're alone, you can become part of nature and your humanity doesn't get in the way," she told The Associated Press in 2021. "It's almost like an out-of-body experience when you suddenly hear different sounds and pick up different scents and you really are part of this amazing tapestry of life."

In her later years, Goodall dedicated several decades to education and advocacy for humanitarian causes and the protection of the natural world. With her ever-present British accent, she was known for balancing the harsh realities of the climate crisis with a sincere message of hope for the future.

Based in the British town of Bournemouth, she traveled nearly 300 days a year, even after turning 90, to address packed auditoriums worldwide. Among more serious messages, her speeches often included her characteristic chimpanzee call or a lament that Tarzan "chose the wrong Jane."

While first studying chimpanzees in Tanzania in the early 1960s, Goodall was known for her unconventional approach. She did not merely observe them from a distance but immersed herself in every aspect of their lives. She fed them and gave them names instead of numbers, a practice for which she received criticism from some scientists.

Her findings reached millions when she first appeared on the cover of National Geographic in 1963 and shortly after in a popular documentary. A collection of photos of Goodall in the field catapulted her, and even some of the chimpanzees, to fame. One iconic image showed her crouched opposite the infant chimp named Flint, both with arms outstretched, reaching for one another.

Goodall has received the highest civilian honors from several countries, including the UK, France, Japan, and Tanzania. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2025 by then-U.S. President Joe Biden and won the prestigious Templeton Prize in 2021.

"Her groundbreaking discoveries have changed humanity’s understanding of its role in an interconnected world, and her advocacy has signaled a larger purpose for our species in caring for life on this planet," stated the Templeton Prize citation, which honors individuals whose life's work embodies a fusion of science and spirituality.

Goodall was also appointed a United Nations Messenger of Peace and authored numerous books, including the bestselling autobiography “Reason for Hope.”