Overview

• The Jane Goodall Institute confirmed she died of natural causes in California while on a U.S. lecture tour.
• Her fieldwork at Gombe transformed primatology, documenting wild chimpanzees’ tool use, hunting, and complex social behavior.
• She founded the Jane Goodall Institute in 1977 and created the Roots & Shoots youth program, now active in many countries.
• Her accolades spanned the 2021 Templeton Prize, UN Messenger of Peace designation, and the 2025 Presidential Medal of Freedom.
• The United Nations and global scientific and conservation organizations issued tributes, noting she remained a prolific public speaker into her nineties.