'Mother of the Chimpanzees' Jane Goodall, Who Dedicated Her Life to Animal Behavior Research, Passes Away (Comprehensive)

Contributed to Research by Discovering Chimpanzee Tool Use and More
Remained Active with Lectures and Outreach Until Her Passing

Jane Goodall, the British zoologist and world-renowned authority in chimpanzee behavior research, has passed away at the age of 91. On October 1, Yonhap News, citing an announcement from the Jane Goodall Institute, reported that Goodall died of old age while staying in California, United States, for a lecture. In its statement, the Jane Goodall Institute said, "Jane Goodall, who will be remembered as an animal advocate and a renowned chimpanzee researcher, died of natural causes," adding, "Goodall's discoveries as an ethologist revolutionized science." Recently, Goodall had been on a lecture tour in the United States and was staying in California.

Dr. Goodall also discovered that chimpanzees are not vegetarians but enjoy eating meat very much, and that they maintain continuous bonds within their families. Because of the way she lived closely with chimpanzees like family, she was also given the title "Mother of the Chimpanzees." Photo by AP Yonhap News

Born in London in 1934, Goodall enjoyed reading books about wild animals from an early age. As a child, she dreamed of one day going to Africa to learn how to communicate with animals like Tarzan. In 1957, while working as a secretary, she visited Kenya at a friend's invitation and met the famous paleoanthropologist Louis Leakey, which marked the beginning of her primate research career. At the time, Leakey offered Goodall a position at the Natural History Museum, and this opportunity led her to dedicate herself to the study of wild chimpanzees. Although Goodall did not attend university, Leakey believed this allowed her to approach chimpanzee research with a pure perspective. In an interview during her lifetime, Goodall said, "In the early 1960s, many scientists believed that only humans had 'minds,'" adding, "I did not think that only humans were capable of rational thought."

She Was Also Called the "Mother of the Chimpanzees" for Living Like Family with Them

After meeting Dr. Leakey, Goodall began her chimpanzee research and, in 1960, entered Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania. There, she achieved significant academic milestones that greatly influenced humanity, such as discovering that chimpanzees use tools and have complex social systems. In particular, she would wander the forest alone with only a pencil and notebook, immersing herself in research as she wrote under a lamp.

Jane Goodall (right) with her husband Hugo van Lawick in January 1974. Photo by AP Yonhap News

Goodall also discovered that chimpanzees are not vegetarians but enjoy eating meat, and that they maintain continuous bonds within their families. Because she lived with chimpanzees like family, she was given the title "Mother of the Chimpanzees." The New York Times evaluated her work by stating, "Her discoveries in the 1960s about how chimpanzees behave in the wild opened up new horizons and are regarded as one of the great scientific achievements of the Western world."

Founded the Jane Goodall Institute to Raise Awareness of the Plight of Wild Animals

In 1977, she established the Jane Goodall Institute to raise awareness about the conditions faced by chimpanzees and other wild animals and to promote habitat protection and improved treatment. The Washington Post reported, "She used her global fame to draw attention to the plight of chimpanzees whose populations were dwindling, and further raised awareness of the dangers of environmental destruction."

Dr. Jane Goodall, a world-renowned authority in chimpanzee behavior research, has passed away at the age of 91. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

In particular, since 1986, Goodall also became active as an environmental activist. Shocked by the global destruction of habitats and rampant poaching, she left the laboratory and began working around the world. In a 2002 lecture, she urged action by saying, "The greatest danger to our future is apathy," and also served as a United Nations Messenger of Peace. She received the Order of the British Empire in 2004 and the Legion of Honour from the French government in 2006. This year, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by U.S. President Donald Trump. Reuters assessed Goodall's passing by stating, "She led a global journey to help humanity better understand chimpanzees and explore how we can protect their habitats and the health of the entire planet."

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