In July 1960, 26-year-old Dr. Jane Goodall travelled from England to Tanzania and ventured into the Gombe Stream National Park, in western Kigoma Region, Tanzania, into the little-known world of wild chimpanzees.
Jane entered the forest of Gombe, with a little more than a notebook, binoculars and an interest in wildlife. At that time, the world did not know a lot about chimpanzees, and even less about their unique characteristics similar to humans. She braved the unknown, to get a better understanding of the animals, and to shine some light on them.
She was different however, with how she made her studies. She decided the best way to learn about them was to completely immerse herself with the animals in their habitat and their lives so she could experience their society and how they interacted with one another. She saw them as not just another animal species, but as individuals with emotions and long-term bonds. She became friends with them.
In 1960, Jane discovered that chimpanzees make and use tools, much like humans do. This was considered a great discovery leading to redefining the relationship between humans and animals. Jane worked for nearly 60 years with chimpanzees showing us the urgent need to protect them from extinction.
Today, she travels the world speaking about the threats chimpanzees and the environment faces, asking each of us to take action for all the living things and the planet we share.
Down the road:
April 3, 1934: Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall is born near London, England.
1957: Jane is invited to Africa for the first time, fueling her already intense affection with animals.
July 14, 1960: Having successfully obtained the funds to study primate behavior, she embarks on her quest, settling down in Gombe Stream National Park.
1962-1965: Jane Goodall was attends Cambridge University in the U.K. to receive a Ph.D in ethology.
August 1963: She publishes her research in her first book, My Life Among Wild Chimpanzees.
1977: After observing the damage done by people to the wildlife in Africa, she founded the Jane Goodall Institute, to prevent further destruction of the environment and mistreatment of animals.
1991: She founds the ‘Roots and Shoots’ programme to educate youth, on the environment.
April 2002: The United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan appoints Jane to serve as a United Nations Messenger of Peace.
Did you know:
The DNA of chimpanzees and humans is 98.5% the same.
After humans, chimpanzees are the most intelligent of our planet’s primates (an animal group which includes apes and monkeys, too)
Chimpanzees are fascinating beings — some of them have been taught to ‘talk’ using sign language, they use facial expressions to convey emotions, comfort each other by embracing, and are known to use plants with medicinal value to self-medicate themselves.
Once found abundantly in the forests of West and Central Africa, today only around 150,000-200,000 chimpanzees remain in the wild. Sadly, populations have declined because of habitat loss, hunting and capture for use in zoos, circuses and medical research, making them an endangered species.
Jane facts
When Jane was a child, her father gave her a stuffed chimpanzee named Jubilee. She believes her fondness for it is what started her love of animals. She still has the stuffed toy.
Dr. Jane Goodall is an primatologist and an anthropologist. A primatologist is a person who studies and observes primates whereas as an anthropologist studies humans, human behaviour and societies.
