Jane Goodall: Scientist, storyteller, and a voice of hope for generations

The scientific world yesterday mourned the passing of Jane Goodall, the pioneering primatologist and conservationist who redefined humanity’s relationship with the natural world. Goodall died on 1 October in Los Angeles at the age of 91.

Her career began in the forests of Tanzania in 1960 with little more than a notebook and binoculars. What followed was six decades of path-breaking research and advocacy that changed the course of primatology, wildlife conservation and environmental activism.

Her patient, humane approach to studying chimpanzees at Gombe National Park not only upended entrenched ideas about the uniqueness of humans but also inspired generations to view animals as sentient beings with individuality, emotion and culture.

Goodall’s connection with India was both personal and profound. In 2024 she visited Mumbai as part of her Hope Tour, delivering a series of lectures, inaugurating an exhibition on her life at the Museum of Solutions, and planting an Ashoka tree to symbolise resilience and hope. Her presence left a lasting impact on India’s scientific community and young environmentalists.

“I began reading her works when I was 12 or 13 and she, like many Indian primatologists, was our first inspiration,” Ishika Ramakrishna, a doctoral researcher at the Centre for Wildlife Studies in Bengaluru was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times. “Even at 90, when we met her, she was vibrant and encouraging – always calling for focus on conservation of species.”

Only weeks ago, in August 2025, Goodall sent a recorded message to the Nilgiriscapes conference, which sought to conserve the ecological and cultural landscape of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. In her video, she placed the local efforts within the broader context of global environmental crises, praising grassroots groups for coming together to take action.

Ecologist and Toda ethnographer Tarun Chhabra, who had first met Goodall at the World Wilderness Congress in 2009, helped bring her message to the Nilgiri gathering. “As a school student in the 1970s, I would devour National Geographic to read about Jane Goodall’s work. She was a great inspiration for people across the world,” Chhabra recalled in a conversation with Mongabay.

The great misadventure in the Nicobar islands

Goodall’s influence extended far beyond research. She founded the Jane Goodall Institute, launched sanctuaries and community programmes across Africa, and created Roots & Shoots, a global movement that galvanised millions of young people to work for animals, people and the planet. She became a United Nations Messenger of Peace and a tireless advocate for conservation, climate action and animal welfare.

“Over the course of six decades, she moved from an unlikely young researcher in the forests of East Africa to one of the most recognisable scientists and conservationists of her time,” wrote Rhett Butler, founder of the environmental news platform Mongabay. “Yet through all of this she remained known simply as ‘Jane,’ a figure who insisted that hope was not naïve but necessary.”

In India, her influence continues through generations of researchers. From senior primatologists such as Mewa Singh, who began his studies in 1973, to today’s doctoral students, her discoveries and her ethos continue to shape fieldwork and conservation science.

“Her discovery that chimpanzees make and use tools shattered long-held beliefs about human uniqueness,” remembered Mohan Alambeth, a retired forest officer who spoke to Mongabay. “But it was her gentle presence – listening deeply, naming her subjects and treating animals as sentient beings – that redefined the soul of field research.”

Goodall’s passing marks the loss of a scientist who was also a global conscience. What endures is not just her research but her way of seeing: that science can be rigorous yet humane, and that advocacy can be grounded in evidence without losing compassion. The institutions she founded, the sanctuaries she nurtured, and the educational programmes she built will carry forward her mission.

She is survived by her son, Hugo, and by the vast community of scientists, conservationists and young activists who carry her message forward. In a world still wrestling with how to balance development with nature, Jane Goodall’s life remains a call to look closely, care deeply, and act with patience and resolve.

Her discoveries “revolutionised science,” the Jane Goodall Institute said in its tribute. But her deeper legacy lies in the millions she inspired to recognise every life, animal and human, as worthy of concern.

With her passing, the world loses not only a pioneering researcher, but also a rare voice of hope.