Dame Jane Goodall, the world-renowned chimpanzee expert, has died at the age of 91. According to reports, her death certificate lists cardiopulmonary arrest as the cause, with her death being treated as natural causes due to her advanced age.
Goodall, who revolutionised the understanding of animal behaviour, was found dead on October 1. Her pioneering work studying chimpanzees in Gombe, Tanzania, revealed that the animals have individual personalities and communicate in ways similar to humans, such as kissing, hugging and using tools.
Over six decades, Goodall became a tireless advocate for chimpanzee protection and environmental conservation. She established the Jane Goodall Institutes and the Roots & Shoots programme, wrote numerous books, and was the subject of more than 40 films and documentaries. Her list of awards spanned nine pages.
In 2002, she was named a UN Messenger of Peace, and she was included on The Independent's Climate 100 list in 2024 and 2025. Born in Hampstead, London, Goodall's fascination with animals began in childhood, inspired by the Dr. Doolittle books. She travelled to Kenya aged 23 and, at the invitation of anthropologist Louis Leakey, began her chimpanzee studies three years later.
Even after turning 90, Goodall continued to travel and speak about environmental threats. Her final book, The Book of Hope, was published in multiple languages. In it, she expressed a belief in consciousness after death, saying, 'I can’t think of a greater adventure than what is beyond our mortal life.'
