Jane Goodall Cause of Death: Legendary Conservationist Was 91
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Dr. Jane Goodall has tragically passed away.
The beloved conservationist has been a household name for generations.
Her impacts upon zoology, environmental science, and popular culture have few parallels.
Now, the world’s foremost expert on chimpanzees has died. She was 91.
British ethologist and primatologist Jane Goodall poses during a photo session on October 18, 2024. (Photo Credit: JOEL SAGET/AFP via Getty Images)
Dr. Jane Goodall has passed away
On Wednesday, October 1, the Jane Goodall Institute released a somber statement.
“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.”
This statement revealed the cause of death, adding that her passing was “due to natural causes.”
“She was in California as part of her speaking tour in the United States,” the Institute detailed.
“Dr. Goodall’s discoveries as an ethologist revolutionized science,” the statement accurately noted.
“And,” the statement concluded, “she was a tireless advocate for the protection and restoration of our natural world.”
British primatologist Jane Goodall visits chimp rescue center on June 9, 2018. (Photo Credit: SUMY SADURNI/AFP via Getty Images)
She changed the world through research and advocacy
Dr. Jane Goodall, who appeared as a scientist and advocate throughout the world (not to mention fictionalized parodies in every genre of fiction), was most famous for her study of chimpanzees.
As a child, she received a toy chimpanzee in lieu of a teddy bear.
She has credited this with helping to foster a love for and curiosity regarding animals.
In the 1960s, she began studying wild chimpanzees in Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park.
Her discoveries about chimpanzees and their behavior and societies revolutionized how many understand non-human animals.
British researcher and primatologist Jane Goodall poses with the UNESCO 60th anniversary gold medal she received for her studies into the conservation of chimpanzees in Africa, 17 January 2006. (Photo Credit: FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP via Getty Images)
More broadly, Dr. Goodall’s decades of studying chimpanzees spun into broader conservation work.
In 2002, the United Nations names her a Messenger of Peace.
She has been an unyielding advocate in the face of worsening climate change.
Famous environmentalist and primatologist Jane Goodall speaks during a conference at the Metropolitan Theatre in Medellin, Colombia on August 22, 2024. (Photo Credit: JAIME SALDARRIAGA/AFP via Getty Images)
The world is a sorrier place without her
In her passing, Dr. Jane Goodall leaves behind her son, Hugo, along with three grandchildren.
She also has millions of fans and admirers throughout the world.
Some got their starts in activism, science, and animal conservation because of her inspiring example.
Jane Goodall, conservationist renowned for chimpanzee research and environmental advocacy, has died News By HALLIE GOLDEN, Associated Press Jane Goodall, the conservationist renowned for her groundbreaking chimpanzee field research and globe-spanning environmental advocacy, has died. She was 91. The Jane Goodall Institute announced the primatologist’s death Wednesday in an Instagram post. According to the institute, Goodall died of natural causes while in California…
Conservationist Jane Goodall, whose work revolutionized the study of primates, has died News By Tricia Escobedo, Michael Rios, CNN Jane Goodall, whose lifelong work as a primatologist helped broaden the world’s understanding of animal behavior and emotions, has died, her institute said Wednesday. She was 91. Her field studies with chimpanzees not only broke barriers for women and changed the way scientists study…
Conservationist Jane Goodall, whose work revolutionized the study of primates, has died News By Tricia Escobedo, Michael Rios, CNN Jane Goodall, whose lifelong work as a primatologist helped broaden the world’s understanding of animal behavior and emotions, has died, her institute said Wednesday. She was 91. Her field studies with chimpanzees not only broke barriers for women and changed the way scientists study…
Jane Goodall, conservationist renowned for chimpanzee research and environmental advocacy, has died News By HALLIE GOLDEN, Associated Press Jane Goodall, the conservationist renowned for her groundbreaking chimpanzee field research and globe-spanning environmental advocacy, has died. She was 91. The Jane Goodall Institute announced the primatologist’s death Wednesday in an Instagram post. According to the institute, Goodall died of natural causes while in California…
Chimpanzee expert Jane Goodall dies aged 91 on speaking tour of United States News Dr Jane Goodall, chimpanzee researcher and naturalist, observes through glass some of Taronga Zoo’s (Credits: Reuters) Dame Jane Goodall, one of the world’s most celebrated conservationists who chronicled the lives of chimpanzees in East Africa, has died aged 91. Her death, while on a tour of the US, was confirmed today in…
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