Primatologist and environmental activist Jane Goodall died today, October 1, 2025, at the age of 91. The Jane Goodall Institute, founded by its namesake, released a statement on social media announcing that Goodall had “passed away due to natural causes. She was in California as part of her speaking tour in the United States.“

Known primarily for studying chimpanzees, Goodall’s research began when she traveled to Tanzania at the age of 26; she would go on to change the way humans study all animals. “Dr. Goodall’s discoveries as an ethologist revolutionized science, and she was a tireless advocate for the protection and restoration of our natural world,” the institute’s statement continues.

See the Jane Goodall Institute’s full statement below:

Goodall grew up in London and Bournemouth; she always loved animals and wanted to travel to Africa, inspired by reading Doctor Dolittle and Tarzan at a young age. In her early career, she worked with married researchers Louis and Mary Leakey to raise funds to go to Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania, undertaking research that was seen as radical at the time.

It was only after beginning this venture that Goodall secured the funding to attend the University of Cambridge and earn her PhD in ethology, despite having no undergraduate degree, writing her thesis about her time at the Gombe reserve. Goodall achieved widespread recognition for her 1963 National Geographic Article “My Life Among Wild Chimpanzees.”

Goodall and her then-husband, Baron Hugo van Lawick, established the Gombe Stream Research Center in 1965, while she and Genevieve di San Faustino founded the Jane Goodall Institute in 1977. In addition to her scientific writing, Goodall penned many children’s books and appeared in more than 40 films centered around her work.

Goodall began focusing on environmental preservation efforts after attending a conference in 1986, and would continue traveling the world to speak with leaders about climate change into her 80s. The Jane Goodall Institute continues to fund conservation projects and train young people, focusing on advancing our understanding of primates.

Jane Goodall’s Legacy

Goodall’s research was so revolutionary because of its basis on the similarities between humans and chimpanzees, as she named the ones she studied at Gombe and observed their individual emotions and personalities, as well as shared behaviors. Goodall said in the 2017 documentary Jane:

My observations at Gombe would challenge human uniqueness. There were some who tried to discredit my observations because I was a young, untrained girl and should therefore be disregarded.

In addition to her influence on animal science and the continued work carried out by the Jane Goodall Institute, a huge part of Goodall’s legacy is shaping the future of women in STEM. Goodall is credited with leading the charge for other women to pursue becoming scientists, and the institute reported that the number of women in STEM has gone from 7% to 26% since Goodall began her career.

The Jane Goodall Institute celebrated the 60th anniversary of Goodall beginning her first research expedition in 2020, when Goodall herself was unable to travel due to lockdown, but continued to speak virtually, offering her own thoughts on the cause of the pandemic. Throughout her life, Jane Goodall consistently reminded humanity of our relationship with nature, hoping to change the world for the better.