‘Worked tirelessly for the planet’: World mourns loss of British chimpanzee expert Jane Goodall

Jane Goodall died of natural causes in California, where she was on a speaking tour. She was the first researcher to give chimpanzees names, rather than numbers

Renowned British primatologist Jane Goodall, who transformed the study of chimpanzees and became a leading wildlife advocate, has died at the age of 91, her institute said on Wednesday.

Jane Goodall has died at the age of 91.(X)

Goodall, who was on a speaking tour of the United States, died of natural causes in California, the Jane Goodall Institute said.

"Dr. Goodall’s discoveries as an ethologist revolutionized science, and she was a tireless advocate for the protection and restoration of our natural world," the institute said on Instagram.

Soon after the news of her death made it to social media, several world leaders and international organisations reacted to the tragic loss.

The United Nations, in a post on X, mourned the loss of Goodall and said that she left an extraordinary legacy for humanity and nature.

Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was heartbroken to hear of Goodall's passing. Trudeau said that Goodall's wisdom and compassion will live on in every act of conservation.

"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," Trudeau's social media post read.

Who was Jane Goodall?

Jane Goodall, the primatologist-turned-conservationist, was renowned for her groundbreaking chimpanzee field research and environmental advocacy.

Her love of wildlife turned her into a life-long campaign that took her from an English village to Africa and then across the globe to better understand chimpanzees.

Born in London in 1934 and then growing up in Bournemouth on England's south coast, Goodall had passion for animals since her childhood. Her fascination with the world of animals began in 1957 after she traveled to Kenya at the invitation of a friend. Goodall made remarkable research about the apes and became a pioneer in her field, both as a female scientist in the 1960s and for her work studying the behavior of primates.

She was the first scientist who gave chimpanzees names instead of numbers and explored on their distinct personalities, including that, like humans, they use tools.

(With inputs from agencies)