UN Peace Messenger and chimpanzee researcher Dame Jane Goodall dies in California

A post on her Facebook page said: "The Jane Goodall Institute has learned this morning, Wednesday, October 1, 2025, that Dr. Jane Goodall DBE, UN Messenger of Peace and Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute has passed away due to natural causes. 

"She was in California as part of her speaking tour in the United States.

"Dr. Goodall’s discoveries as an ethologist revolutionized science, and she was a tireless advocate for the protection and restoration of our natural world."

In July 1960, at the age of 26, Dr. Goodall travelled from England to what is now Tanzania and ventured into the little-known world of wild chimpanzees, equipped with little more than a notebook, binoculars, and her fascination with wildlife.

She took an unorthodox approach in her field research, immersing herself in their habitat and their lives to experience their complex society as a neighbour rather than a distant observer.

Dr. Goodall’s discovery in 1960 that chimpanzees make and use tools is considered one of the greatest achievements of twentieth-century scholarship.

Her field research at Gombe transformed our understanding of chimpanzees and redefined the relationship between humans and animals in ways that continue to emanate around the world.

Through nearly 60 years of groundbreaking work, Dr. Goodall championed the need to protect chimpanzees from extinction.

She also redefined species conservation to include the needs of local people and the environment.

Most recently, she travelled the world speaking about the threats facing chimpanzees and environmental crises, urging action on behalf of all living things and planet we share.