LOS ANGELES: British primatologist Jane Goodall, who revolutionised the understanding of chimpanzees and became one of the world’s most respected wildlife advocates, has died at 91.
The Jane Goodall Institute announced her peaceful passing in her sleep during a United States speaking tour.
Her final video showed the iconic conservationist greeting an audience with a chimpanzee call meaning good morning.
Global tributes immediately honoured her extraordinary legacy for humanity and our planet.
United Nations chief Antonio Guterres expressed deep sadness at losing a cherished Messenger of Peace.
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan praised Goodall’s pioneering Gombe National Park research that positioned Tanzania at the centre of global chimpanzee conservation.
Actress and environmental activist Jane Fonda urged people to honour Goodall by treating the earth and all its beings with love and respect.
Goodall developed an early fascination with animals after receiving a stuffed toy chimpanzee from her father.
Her 1957 Kenya trip led to working with palaeoanthropologist Louis Leakey, who sent her to study chimpanzees in Tanzania.
She made history as the first researcher to document chimpanzees using grass stalks and twigs as tools for termite fishing.
Leakey later encouraged her Cambridge University doctorate, making her the eighth person ever to earn a PhD without a bachelor’s degree.
Goodall’s work also revealed chimpanzees’ capacity for violence through infanticide and territorial wars.
She founded the Jane Goodall Institute in 1977 to expand chimpanzee research and conservation efforts.
Her Roots & Shoots youth environmental program launched in 1991 now operates across more than 60 countries.
A 1980s chimpanzee conference exposing threats like medical research exploitation and habitat destruction transformed her into a full-time activist.
She maintained a relentless global travel schedule advocating for wildlife well into her nineties.
Goodall authored dozens of books and received numerous honours including becoming a Dame Commander and receiving the US Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Her legacy extends to popular culture through Lego figures, Barbie dolls, and a famous Gary Larson cartoon she found amusing.
She emphasised that the time for words and false promises about saving our planet has passed.
Goodall’s enduring message empowered individuals to recognise their daily impact and choose what difference they make. – AFP