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Word leaders, friends and former colleagues have been paying tribute to the primatologist Jane Goodall, who died in California on Wednesday aged 91.
Goodall devoted her life to studying chimpanzees and other great apes, and became a global champion for primates and for conservation, helping to challenge the idea that the primates were vegetarian and that only humans could use tools. She died in her sleep from natural causes in Los Angeles while on a speaking tour, according to her institute, leading to an outpouring of dedications from around the world.
“Jane Goodall had a remarkable ability to inspire us to connect with the natural wonders of our world, and her groundbreaking work on primates and the importance of conservation opened doors for generations of women in science,” said former US president Barack Obama. “Michelle and I are thinking of all those who loved and admired her,” he said.
Prince William said the world had lost “an extraordinary voice”.
“Her boundless curiosity, compassion and pioneering spirit transformed our understanding of the natural world. She challenged us all to make a difference and inspired me and countless others to work to protect our planet. Jane Goodall made a difference,” he said in a statement.
The naturalist and broadcaster, Chris Packham, said: “Goodall was extremely determined. She was a do-it-yourselfer. She broke down barriers and wasn’t interested in broken or outdated conventions in science – she was bold and brave, an important inspiration to women wishing to enter science.
“She also became a powerful advocate for life, quiet, considered, clear and passionate. And critically tireless – she died on her job, trying to communicate the urgent need to confront climate breakdown and biodiversity loss. We have lost one of the greatest and most necessary voices for life on Earth ‘
Tanzanian president, Samia Suluhu Hassan, said Goodall was a friend of the country and paid tribute to her decades of research on chimpanzees in Gombe national park. “With great sorrow, I have received the news of the passing of Dr. Jane Goodall. A renowned zoologist, primatologist, researcher and a friend of Tanzania, Dr. Goodall’s pioneering work at Gombe National Park transformed wildlife conservation, and placed our country at the heart of global efforts to protect chimpanzees and nature. Her legacy will live on. May she Rest in Peace,” she wrote on X.
The University of East Anglia biologist Prof Ben Garrod, who worked closely with her for many years, said: “Jane Goodall was transformative. She was often the quietest person in the loudest room, who would have the greatest impact. She worked absolutely tirelessly to make the world better for everyone, whether you were young or old, rich or poor, human or any other animal. She worked non-stop, travelling 300 days a year, working every day I knew her, working to change the world.”
Amanda Hurowitz, great apes programme director for Mighty Earth, said: “I will never forget listening to Jane Goodall pant hoot (a loud chimpanzee call that has an intro, build-up, climax and let-down) in a room at the US Capitol with members of Congress and other dignitaries. She inspired so many with her dedication to protecting our next of kin and teaching about how much we all shared.”
American primatologist Russell Mittermeier, chief conservation officer for the NGO Re:wild, said: “There will never again be anyone like Jane,” said , who is . “I have known Jane for nearly 50 years, and have always been amazed by her boundless energy, her vision and her truly global impact. All of us will miss her,” he said.
David Obura, the head of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem, said Goodall’s work inspired him as a teenager. “I devoured her books that were really an account not just of her science, which shone through brilliantly, but of living in, and really identifying with the nature that became her life. I wanted to emulate what she found. And then as an adult with her humility and purpose – it was all about the species, places and people that she brought to the world’s attention,” he said.
Actor and conservationist Leonardo DiCaprio said Goodall was “his hero”.
“Her groundbreaking research on chimpanzees in Tanzania transformed our understanding of how our closest relatives live, socialise, and think – reminding us that we are deeply connected not only to chimpanzees and other great apes, but to all life,” he wrote on Instagram. “She never stopped,” he said.
Apple CEO, Tim Cook, said Goodall was “a groundbreaking scientist and leader who taught us all so much about the beauty and wonder of our world. She never stopped advocating for nature, people, and the planet we share. May she rest in peace.”
Leading environmental lawyer Farhana Yamin said Goodall was “an outstanding scientist and environmentalist. She helped us understand apes but also ourselves. Thanks to her outstanding observations we know that language, love and caring are core parts of the more than human world and we don’t own nature but are part of it.
And the CEO of the African Wildlife Foundation, Kaddu Sebunya, said that the AWF “recommits to carrying forward the flame she lit, ensuring that Africa remains at the heart of global conservation, and that her vision of a just and thriving world for people and nature endures.” Sebunya added that: “On a personal note, I commend her for the path she charted, one that showed young girls everywhere, including my own daughter, that it is possible to dream boldly, to lead fearlessly, and to leave the world better than they found it.”
