Dr. Jane Goodall has tragically passed away.
The beloved conservationist has been a household name for generations.
Her impacts upon zoology, environmental science, and popular culture have few parallels.
Now, the world’s foremost expert on chimpanzees has died. She was 91.
Dr. Jane Goodall has passed away
On Wednesday, October 1, the Jane Goodall Institute released a somber statement.
“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.”
This statement revealed the cause of death, adding that her passing was “due to natural causes.”
“She was in California as part of her speaking tour in the United States,” the Institute detailed.
“Dr. Goodall’s discoveries as an ethologist revolutionized science,” the statement accurately noted.
“And,” the statement concluded, “she was a tireless advocate for the protection and restoration of our natural world.”
She changed the world through research and advocacy
Dr. Jane Goodall, who appeared as a scientist and advocate throughout the world (not to mention fictionalized parodies in every genre of fiction), was most famous for her study of chimpanzees.
As a child, she received a toy chimpanzee in lieu of a teddy bear.
She has credited this with helping to foster a love for and curiosity regarding animals.
In the 1960s, she began studying wild chimpanzees in Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park.
Her discoveries about chimpanzees and their behavior and societies revolutionized how many understand non-human animals.
More broadly, Dr. Goodall’s decades of studying chimpanzees spun into broader conservation work.
In 2002, the United Nations names her a Messenger of Peace.
She has been an unyielding advocate in the face of worsening climate change.
The world is a sorrier place without her
In her passing, Dr. Jane Goodall leaves behind her son, Hugo, along with three grandchildren.
She also has millions of fans and admirers throughout the world.
Some got their starts in activism, science, and animal conservation because of her inspiring example.
Our world is worse for her passing. We will, at least, always have the tale of the Far Side comic incident.
On top of everything else, she had a wonderful sense of humor.