Heartbreaking news: Jane Goodall, the legendary primatologist who taught us chimps are ‘like us,’ has passed away at 91. The Jane Goodall Institute announced her death on October 1, 2025, due to natural causes while she was on a speaking tour in California. Her loss is a blow to science and conservation.
Goodall began her groundbreaking chimp research in Tanzania at just 26, reshaping our understanding of primates.
“Their behavior, with their gestures, kissing, embracing… they can be violent but also loving and altruistic,” she told ABC News in 2020.
Public figures mourned her loss, with environmentalist Greta Thunberg tweeting, “Jane Goodall’s legacy will live on in every fight for nature. Rest in peace.”
Her life reminds us to protect our planet—something she fought for until her last days. What will you do to honor her legacy?
Sources: Jane Goodall Institute, ABC News