British conservationist and chimpanzee expert Dame Jane Goodall has died aged 91, The Jane Goodall Institute said. In a statement released on Wednesday, it 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."
She was considered the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees, after spending over 60 years studying the social and family interactions of wild chimpanzees. Born in London in 1934, she was just 26 and had no formal scientific training when she first went to Africa to study the mammals, which led to groundbreaking observations.
© CBS via Getty Images"Apparently, from the time I was about one-and-a-half or two, I used to study insects, anything, and this gradually evolved and developed and grew and then I read books like Dr Dolittle and Tarzan, then it had to be Africa that was my goal," Dr Goodall told the BBC's Terry Wogan on his talk show in 1986.
She leaves behind a son, Hugo Eric Louis, 58, from her previous marriage to the late National Geographic photographer Hugo van Lawick. Her second husband, Derek Bryceson, a member of Tanzania's parliament and the director of that country's national parks, died from cancer in October 1980.
© GettyIn 1977, she founded the Jane Goodall Institute, which works to protect the species and supports youth projects aimed at benefiting animals and the environment. She was also awarded a damehood in 2004, and was invested by the then-Prince of Wales, now King, at Buckingham Palace. The primatologist said, however, that her most prized distinction was becoming the UN Messenger of Peace in 2002.
© GettyIn tribute to Dame Jane, a post to the official X account of the UN said: "Today, the UN family mourns the loss of Dr Jane Goodall. The scientist, conservationist and UN Messenger of Peace worked tirelessly for our planet and all its inhabitants, leaving an extraordinary legacy for humanity and nature."
She had been due to speak at a sold out event at Royce Hall, a building on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), on Friday 3 October. She held events in Detroit, Michigan, and Austin, Texas, in September, and was also due to visit Washington next week.
High-profile figures and organisations pay tribute
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex shared a tribute on Jane: “Dr. Jane Goodall DBE was a visionary humanitarian, scientist, friend to the planet, and friend to us. Her commitment to changing lives extends beyond what the world saw, and also to what we personally felt. She held our son, Archie, when he was first born, and showered love and care to those who were privileged to know her. She will be deeply missed.”
Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau posted a statement on X, saying: "Heartbroken to hear of Dr Jane Goodall’s passing. She was a pioneer whose research and advocacy reshaped our understanding of the natural world. Her wisdom and compassion will live on in every act of conservation. All of us who were so greatly inspired by her will miss her deeply." Meanwhile, US comedian Ellen DeGeneres said primatologist Dame Jane Goodall "broke barriers for women all over the world".
Leonardo DiCaprio, said “we all must carry the torch” for Dame Jane” and protect “our one shared home”, in a post to Instagram on Wednesday. The Titanic star, 50, shared photos of him and Dame Jane who was made a UN Messenger of Peace in 2002, 12 years before DiCaprio was also given the honorific title. “Today we have lost a true hero for the planet, an inspiration to millions, and a dear friend,” he said.
“Jane Goodall devoted her life to protecting our planet and giving a voice to the wild animals and the ecosystems they inhabit. Her ground-breaking research on chimpanzees in Tanzania transformed our understanding of how our closest relatives live, socialise and think — reminding us that we are deeply connected not only to chimpanzees and the other great apes, but to all life.
“For decades, Jane travelled the world with tireless energy, awakening generations to the wonder of the natural world.She spoke directly to the next generation, instilling hope, responsibility and the belief that every individual can make a difference. She inspired millions to care, to act, and to hope. She never stopped. My deepest condolences to her family. Please join me in honouring her legacy by supporting @janegoodallinst and other conservation groups which she cared about. My last message to Jane was simple: ‘You are my hero’. Now, we all must carry the torch for her in protecting our one shared home.”
US comedian Ellen DeGeneres thanked Dame Jane in the caption of an Instagram post where she said the conservationist “broke barriers for women all over the world”. Accompanying the comedian’s message was a video of her interviewing Dame Jane, who said it was uncommon for women to be scientists when she started her career, aged 26.
She also said that “everyone laughed” at her dream, except for her mother who said: “If you really want this you have to work really hard, take advantage of all opportunities, but don’t give up.”
Naturalist and TV presenter Chris Packham lauded the conservationist’s work as “revolutionary” and said Dame Jane “was up against it” when she began her career. “It (her work) was revolutionary and she approached it in a very different way at the time,” he told BBC News.
“Let’s not forget that this was the late 1950s, early ’60s. She was a woman in science, and she was a woman in science without an undergraduate degree, so she was up against it as it was.
“She nevertheless immersed herself in that society and that gave her the capacity to identify traits within those animals, to learn their personalities and know them as individuals.”
He added: “She was remarkable, and it spoke of that determination which endured throughout the course of her life, because here, at the age of 91 on a speaking tour, still advocating for life on Earth in her calm, calculated, deliberate way, capturing the ears of everyone from children to politicians, to make sure that we can do everything we can to protect life on Earth in a time of crisis.”
He continued: “To have lost a hero at a time when we need all of them on the front line fighting for the future of life on Earth, it is a tragedy.”
Former US presidents Joe Biden, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama were among those who celebrated her life and legacy. Mr Biden said he was “deeply saddened” by the news of Dame Jane’s passing, while Mr Obama praised her “remarkable ability” to “connect with the natural wonders of our world”.
Mr Clinton said on Facebook the “best tribute we can pay her is to redouble our efforts to defend the environment”. Also paying tribute was former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, who said he was “heartbroken” to hear of Dame Jane’s death, saying “her compassion will live on” in future conservation.
Elsewhere, jailed Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes said in an X post that Dame Jane had “inspired so many women”, including herself, “to push the boundaries of what we were allowed to do”.
Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson said Dame Jane “was a passionate champion of our beautiful planet and an amazing human being” in a social media post where he revealed he had seen her at an event in New York last week.
Animal rights group Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has announced it will plant a monkey puzzle tree in the memorial garden at its headquarters in honour of conservationist Dame Jane Goodall. Its founder Ingrid Newkirk paid tribute to the primatologist and said: "A long and fine life led. Jane Goodall was a gifted scientist and trailblazer who forever changed the way we view our fellow animals. We could always count on her to be on the animals' side, whether she was urging UPS to stop shipping hunting trophies, calling for SeaWorld's closure, or a shutdown of the Oregon National Primate Research Center. She leaves behind an extraordinary legacy, and we encourage everyone to follow in her animal-respecting footsteps, starting with going vegan."
