The world lost a conservation giant in October 2025 with the passing of Dr Jane Goodall at age 91. President Samia Suluhu Hassan expressed heartfelt condolences, praising Goodall as 'a renowned zoologist, primatologist, researcher and a friend of Tanzania' whose pioneering work transformed wildlife conservation and placed the country at the heart of global efforts to protect chimpanzees and nature.
The Gombe Legacy
In July 1960, at just 26 years old, Jane Goodall travelled from England to Tanzania and ventured into the little-known world of wild chimpanzees at Gombe Stream National Park. At the time, the world knew very little about chimpanzees, and even less about their unique genetic kinship to humans. Goodall took an unorthodox approach, immersing herself in their habitat and their lives to experience their complex society as a neighbour rather than a distant observer.
Revolutionary Discoveries
Goodall's patient observation led to world-first discoveries that changed science forever. She proved that animals could fashion and use tools – previously thought to be a uniquely human trait – when she observed chimps stripping leaves from twigs to fish for termites. She showed that chimpanzees have individual personalities, express emotions like love and grief, and possess far higher intelligence than previously credited. Her decision to give her subjects names like 'David Greybeard' rather than numbers was initially criticized but is now celebrated for revealing animals as individuals.
A Pioneer for Women in Science
Goodall achieved all this at a time when women were commonly sidelined in science. Without a university degree when she began, she convinced the famous paleoanthropologist Louis Leakey to give her a chance – he first employed her as a secretary before recognizing her potential. She later earned her PhD from Cambridge, one of the few people admitted without an undergraduate degree. Her visibility encouraged girls and women around the world to follow their own paths in science.
From Researcher to Global Advocate
Seventeen years after beginning her Gombe research, Goodall established the Jane Goodall Institute with the mission of protecting wildlife and habitat by engaging local communities. The institute's global network now spans five continents. In 1991, she founded Roots & Shoots, a youth program now active in 75 countries, fostering respect and compassion for all living things. Her mantra – 'find hope in action' – continues to inspire conservation efforts worldwide. Researchers have now been studying the Gombe chimpanzees for 65 years, the longest-running wild chimpanzee study in history.
Original Source: This article is summarized from Daily News Tanzania.
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