Dr. Jane Goodall, the celebrated primatologist and conservationist, has died at the age of 91. The Jane Goodall Institute confirmed she passed away of natural causes at her Los Angeles-area home. Local authorities told NBC4 Investigates that emergency crews responded around 8:30 a.m., confirming no foul play was involved.
Today, the UN family mourns the loss of Dr. Jane Goodall.
The scientist, conservationist and UN Messenger of Peace worked tirelessly for our planet and all its inhabitants, leaving an extraordinary legacy for humanity and nature. pic.twitter.com/C0VMRdKufF
— United Nations (@UN) October 1, 2025
Early Life and Passion for Wildlife
Born Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall in London on April 3, 1934, Jane Goodall developed a love for animals and nature from a young age. She cared for pets including a dog named Rusty, a pony, and a tortoise, and was inspired by books like Tarzan and Dr. Dolittle.
At 23, she traveled to Africa, meeting renowned paleoanthropologist Dr. Louis Seymour Bazett Leakey, who recognized her talent and passion for animals. This meeting set her on the path to becoming a world-leading expert on chimpanzees.
Trailblazing Work in Tanzania
In 1960, at the age of 26, Jane Goodall arrived at Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania, where she began her groundbreaking 60-year study of wild chimpanzees. Her research revealed that chimpanzees use tools, form complex relationships, and express emotions, challenging long-held assumptions about the difference between humans and animals.
Jane Goodall Institute and Conservation Legacy
Founded in 1977, the Jane Goodall Institute has become a global force for conservation and community engagement. Its youth programme, Roots & Shoots, continues to empower young people worldwide to work on sustainability projects.
“Dr. Goodall’s discoveries as an ethologist revolutionised science, and she was a tireless advocate for protecting our planet,” the Institute noted in its tribute.
Throughout her career, Goodall received numerous accolades, including being named Dame Commander of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in 2003. In 2025, President Joe Biden awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, calling her “a voice of conscience for humanity and nature alike.”
Global Advocacy and UN Role
Jane Goodall was also a United Nations Messenger of Peace, using her platform to highlight global issues like deforestation, poaching, and biodiversity loss. She continued her speaking tours well into her nineties and had been scheduled to lecture at UCLA’s Royce Hall this week before her passing.
Personal Life and Family
Goodall was married twice. Her first husband, Baron Hugo van Lawick, a Dutch nobleman and wildlife photographer, fathered her son, Hugo Eric Louis. After their divorce in 1974, she later married Derek Bryceson, a Tanzanian parliament member, who died in 1980.
Speaking to People at 86, she said she never remarried, explaining that her life was complete with friends and her work.
Tributes and Enduring Legacy
Tributes have poured in from scientists, conservationists, and world leaders. Many remembered her as the woman who redefined humanity’s relationship with nature. Her son, Hugo Eric Louis van Lawick, survives her, along with generations of activists inspired by her message: “Every individual can make a difference.”
Jane Goodall’s work with chimpanzees and her tireless advocacy for wildlife and the environment have left an indelible mark on science and humanity.
