Jane Goodall, Renowned Conservationist, Dies at 91
Jane Goodall, the British primatologist whose groundbreaking field studies of chimpanzees transformed understanding of animal behavior and later became a global conservation and humanitarian advocate, has died at age 91, the Jane Goodall Institute announced on Oct. 1, 2025. Goodall first lived among chimpanzees in Tanzania in the 1960s, documenting tool use and complex social behaviors; in later decades she led education and conservation efforts worldwide and received honors including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2025.
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🔍 Key Facts
- The Jane Goodall Institute announced her death on Instagram on Oct. 1, 2025; she was 91.
- Goodall’s early 1960s fieldwork in Tanzania documented chimpanzees using tools and exhibiting distinct personalities, reshaping scientific views of primates.
- She continued decades-long global advocacy and education work, traveled widely into her 90s from her base in Bournemouth, and received major honors including the 2025 Presidential Medal of Freedom and the 2021 Templeton Prize.