By Daisy Hodges
On October 1, 2025, the Jane Goodall Institute announced that the renowned primatologist had died of natural causes at the age of 91.
Goodall passed away in California while taking part in her speaking tour. She was best known for her groundbreaking work with chimpanzees in Tanzania during the 1960s. What made her stand out was her revolutionary approach to research—she immersed herself in chimpanzee habitats, observing their lives as a neighbor rather than a distant observer.
She published a landmark study proving that chimpanzees use sticks as tools, challenging the long-held belief that humans were the only species capable of tool use. She also documented their communication abilities and complex social behaviors, revealing that they eat meat and sometimes engage in conflict.
Goodall dove deeper into her research than many scientists of her time, driven by passion rather than just data. Her studies highlighted the striking similarities between humans and chimpanzees, inspiring empathy for the species and fueling global conservation efforts to protect them and their habitats.
Her research earned both scientific acclaim and mainstream recognition, and she is widely credited with paving the way for more women to pursue careers in STEM. According to the Jane Goodall Institute, citing U.S. Census data from 1970 to 2011, the number of women in STEM fields has risen from 7% to 26% over the past six decades.
In 1991, she founded Roots & Shoots, a global humanitarian and environmental program for young people, believing that saving the planet while there was still time was of the utmost importance.
“We have disrespected the natural world. We’ve disrespected animals, and we’ve been cutting down forests. Animals have been driven into closer contact with people. Animals have been hunted, killed, and eaten. They’ve been trafficked,” she told ABC News in 2020.
Jane Goodall’s impact is immeasurable. She forever changed the fields of science and environmentalism, opening new doors for women in research and awakening the world to the urgent need to protect the planet and its creatures.
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