Leonardo DiCaprio Remembers Beloved Conservationist Jane Goodall With Heartfelt Tribute: ‘You Are My Hero’

Leonardo DiCaprio is paying tribute to Jane Goodall with heartfelt words following her passing at 91. “Jane Goodall devoted her life to protecting our planet and giving a voice to the wild animals and the ecosystems they inhabit,” DiCaprio shared in his tribute.

(Photo by Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for National Geographic)

“She inspired millions to care, to act, and to hope. She never stopped. 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.”

DiCaprio’s message captures what so many felt about Goodall — that her work reached beyond science, stirring hearts and shaping generations to see the natural world with compassion and responsibility.

A Trailblazing Life & Legacy

Goodall died on October 1 in Los Angeles of natural causes while on a speaking tour, her institute confirmed. She is survived by her son, Hugo, and three grandchildren.

In a statement, the Jane Goodall Institute honored her as a trailblazer: “Dr. Goodall’s discoveries as an ethologist revolutionized science, and she was a tireless advocate for the protection and restoration of our natural world.”

Her groundbreaking research on chimpanzees in Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park in the 1960s transformed the way humans understand primates and revealed just how closely connected we are to them.

(Photo by Rich Polk/Getty Images for Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation)

For decades, Goodall traveled the world urging action on climate change and conservation. She founded the Jane Goodall Institute in 1977 and created the Roots & Shoots program in 1991 to inspire young people to protect the planet.

Named a United Nations Messenger of Peace in 2002, she remained a powerful force for environmental activism until her final days. “Around the world, people are waking up, and they’re ready for change,” she told People in 2020. “I have hope, but only if we work together.”

A Hero Remembered Worldwide

Born in England in 1934, Goodall had dreamed of living in Africa since childhood. With encouragement from her mother, she pursued that dream and became the world’s foremost expert on chimpanzees. Over her lifetime, she authored more than a dozen books, including The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times.

Goodall once reflected: “I’m not afraid of death. To me, death is kind of an adventure.”

Her passing has sparked tributes across the globe, with fans, scientists, and celebrities remembering her as both a scientist and a symbol of compassion.

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