Jane Goodall, the famed primatologist and conservationist, died Wednesday at age 91 of natural causes, the Jane Goodall Institute announced on Instagram. She was in California ahead of a planned speaking engagement in Los Angeles, according to the institute.
"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 Jane Goodall Institute said.
"Young Jane immersed herself in books about wild animals and dreamed of a life alongside African wildlife like Tarzan and Dr. Dolittle. At the young age of 23, after having spent the past few years as a waitress and secretary, she finally found a way to make her dream a reality," according to her official biography.
Goodall's studies of wild chimpanzees began in 1960 when she visited the shores of Tanzania with her mother, Vanne.
Once in Tanzania, she took what was considered an "unorthodox approach" toward studying wildlife. She immersed herself with chimpanzees, gaining their trust and becoming a companion to the primates. She gave chimps human-like names and came to understand their personalities and behaviors. Amid her studies, she noted that chimps used tools and had other social traits that were originally thought to be unique to humans.
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Following her initial studies in Tanzania, she became just the eighth person to ever be admitted to Cambridge University's Ph.D. program without an undergraduate degree. She earned her doctorate in ethology in 1966, but continued her research at Gombe National Park.
She launched the Jane Goodall Institute in 1977, which has since expanded to have offices in 24 countries. These institutes continue ongoing research on chimpanzees, while also advocating for the protection of chimps and their habitats.
Goodall continued sharing her love of chimps and her knowledge through multiple books and programs. Her most recent book, “The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times,” was published in 2021.
Even into her 90s, Goodall remained an active voice for conservation. At the time of her death, she had several speaking events on her schedule in the coming days.
Just last week, she was in New York for Climate Week, where she reportedly told audience members to "have courage" in taking on sustainability.
