Jane Goodall’s Legacy

Written by: Sitara Nair

On October 1, 2025, at the age of 91, British primatologist, ethologist, and anthropologist Jane Goodall unfortunately passed away, leaving us with her lasting impact on how we understand wildlife today. Keep reading this article to learn about her work and her legacy as an animal and nature lover. 

Early Life

Born on April 3, 1934, Goodall’s full name is Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall. Her father was Mortimere Herbert Morris-Goodall, a businessman (and motor racing enthusiast). Her mother, Margaret Myfanwe Joseph, who went by the nickname Vanne Morris-Goodall, was a novelist. Jane also had a younger sister named Judy.  As a kid, she was fascinated with animals and animal behavior. When she was about two years old, her mom gave her a stuffed toy chimpanzee, which she named Jubilee instead of a teddy bear, showing her deep love for all animals. As a child, she kept pets (a dog, a tortoise, and a pony) and spent much of her time outdoors. According to National Geographic, she read Tarzan of the Apes and Dr. Dolittle at age 8, and those books deeply inspired her ambition to go to Africa and live among wild animals. During World War II, her father went off to serve, and Jane moved with her mother and sister to a city called Bournemouth on England’s south coast. Jane attended local schools as a kid and was a good student, but her true passion was natural history. At 18, she left formal schooling and soon worked as a secretary and assisted in film production to save travel money. In 1957, Jane traveled to Kenya where she met Louis Leakey, a esteemed anthropologist. He was impressed by her passion and eventually arranged for her to study chimpanzees in Tanzania. In July of 1060, Jane arrived at Gombe Stream, Tanzania, and began her work on wild chimpanzees at just 26 years old. 

Scientific Work

Her first field study was in 1960 in Tanzania, sent by Louis Leakey to study chimpanzees. With no formal scientific training, Goodall entered with fresh eyes and made groundbreaking discoveries. In 1960, she observed chimpanzees stripping twigs to fish termites from mounds. This overturned the belief that only humans used tools! Furthermore, she documented chimps eating meat, like small animals, which was previously unknown. She also found that chimps have hierarchies and deep family bonds by spending countless nights studying their behaviors. Her work revealed that chimpanzees experience joy, sorrow, compassion, and aggression! Soon after her groundbreaking work, she earned her PhD in Ethology from the University of Cambridge in 1966, and authored over 25 books and hundreds of scientific papers. 

Conservation, Advocacy, and Legacy

In 1977, the Jane Goodall Institute was founded to support research at Gombe and promote conservation and community development. In 1991, Roots and Shoots was established, a youth program designed to empower young people to create positive change for animals and the environment. Since the 1980s, Goodall has traveled extensively, giving talks about animals, the environment, and hope. Her work in books and documentaries, including projects like the film 'Jane' (2017) and 'The Hope' (2020), has advanced her meaningful message and educated people about the environment.  Her public influence will never be forgotten as she is also a United Nations Messenger of Peace, recognized for her dedication to environmental and humanitarian causes. 

Jane Goodall changed how science understands animals and blurred the line between “human” and “animal.” Beyond research, she worked to create global conservation movements rooted in her compassion and love for animals! Though she has passed, her legacy and incredible impact on our knowledge of the natural world will never be forgotten, and we will honor her work for generations to come.