Pioneer of Conservation, Tireless Advocate, and Messenger of Hope
A Groundbreaking Life and Legacy
It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of Dr. Jane Goodall, who died peacefully in her sleep on October 1, 2025, in California, at the age of 91. She passed quietly while continuing her lifelong mission: inspiring people to care for our shared planet.
Jane Goodall was far more than the world’s most famous chimpanzee researcher. Her observations at Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania transformed science, showing that chimpanzees use tools, form complex social bonds, and experience emotions — challenging the boundaries previously thought to separate humans from other animals.
Despite beginning her work without a university degree, Jane earned a PhD in Ethology from Cambridge University in 1965, based on her research at Gombe, becoming one of the youngest and most renowned scientists of her generation.
From Research to Global Movement
In 1977, Jane founded the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) to protect chimpanzees and their habitats and to advance global conservation. Today, JGI has offices in 25 countries and programs that operate worldwide. Jane’s vision extended beyond science to urgent issues of habitat loss, poaching, and human–wildlife coexistence.
She also created Roots & Shoots, a youth program that began with just 12 students in Dar es Salaam and is now active in over 75 countries. The initiative empowers young people — from preschoolers to university students — to take hands-on action for animals, the environment, and their communities.
While Jane did not manage the Institute’s daily operations, her vision, leadership, and personal presence guided its global growth. Through decades of speaking, writing, travel, and advocacy, she inspired millions and built a worldwide conservation movement.
Personal Life and Connections
Jane Goodall had a unique bond with the Netherlands, where she was married to Dutch wildlife photographer Hugo van Lawick. She visited officially in 2023, receiving the Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau for her lifelong service to nature and humanity.
She was also married to Derek Bryceson, a former director of Tanzania’s National Parks and member of Parliament. Jane authored more than 27 books, contributed to documentaries and IMAX films, and remained committed to empowering the next generation of conservationists.
Her consistent message to the world was: “Every individual matters. Every individual has a role to play. Every individual makes a difference.” Even late in life, she traveled extensively, mentoring young scientists and advocates worldwide.
Compassionate conservation
Jane Goodall’s conservation philosophy was deeply compassionate, combining scientific rigor with ethical responsibility toward every individual animal, while promoting long-term ecosystem and community sustainability:
- Individual animals matter – From her earliest Gombe research, Goodall emphasized the individuality, personalities, and emotional lives of chimpanzees. She humanized them not to anthropomorphize but to show that each animal has intrinsic value. This aligns with compassionate conservation’s focus on the welfare of individual animals as well as populations and ecosystems.
- Non-violence and coexistence – She was a lifelong advocate for non-lethal solutions to human-wildlife conflict, supporting habitat protection and coexistence rather than culling or eradication. For example, through projects like Tacare in Africa, she promoted community-based conservation that protected wildlife without harming individual animals.
- Holistic ethics – Goodall’s work always considered both animals and people. She recognized that sustainable conservation required understanding social, cultural, and economic contexts — a key principle in compassionate conservation: ethical treatment of all sentient beings alongside ecosystem protection.
- Sanctuaries and rehabilitation – She helped establish sanctuaries for orphaned and rescued chimpanzees (e.g., Tchimpounga, Chimp Eden), emphasizing rescue, rehabilitation, and enrichment, showing care for individuals while contributing to species conservation.
- Education and advocacy – Through Roots & Shoots, she inspired children and communities to care for animals, humans, and the environment together, fostering compassion as a guiding principle.
Her Enduring Legacy
Jane Goodall’s legacy is immeasurable. It lives on in the countless young people who joined Roots & Shoots, in communities across Africa and beyond implementing conservation programs like Tacare, and in sanctuaries such as Chimp Eden in South Africa and Tchimpounga in the Republic of the Congo.
At the African Conservation Foundation, we honor her as a guiding light whose influence continues in grassroots projects, scientific research, and education. Though she is no longer with us, her message remains a call to action: protecting and restoring the natural world is not optional — it is our responsibility.
Her holistic approach, belief in community involvement, and dedication to education continue to inspire a new generation of conservation leaders who will carry forward her mission of a more harmonious and sustainable world.
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Featured image: Jane Goodall (Photo by Image Press Agency / Deposit Photos)
