The British-born primatologist, anthropologist, zoologist, and author Jane Goodall—who found international fame for her intensive work with chimpanzees in Tanzania’s Gombe National Park in the 1960s, as well as her enthusiastic advocacy for animal welfare and conservation efforts—has died, according to a statement from the Jane Goodall Institute. She was 91.
“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,” read the announcement, which was shared to social media. “She was in California as part of her speaking tour in the United States.”
It continued: “Dr. Goodall’s discoveries as an ethologist revolutionized science, and she was a tireless advocate for the protection and restoration of our natural world.”
