Dr. Jane Goodall, famous chimpanzee researcher and conservationist, has died at the age of 91.
The Jane Goodall Institute announced the news on Facebook.
“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 due to natural causes,” the institute wrote.
Goodall visited Spokane in 2013 to speak at Gonzaga University as part of their Presidential Speaker series with her speech entitled “Making A Difference.”
“In Making a Difference, Dr. Goodall provided insight into the person behind the globe-trotting international icon: a UN Messenger of Peace, Dame of the British Empire, and the subject of countless articles and television programs around the world,” according to the Gonzaga University website. “She also discussed the current threats facing the planet and her reasons for hope in these complex times, encouraging everyone in the audience to do their part to make a positive difference each and every day.”
Goodall also spoke at Montana State University in 2008.
Goodall was born in London, but her work brought her to Tanzania, where she conducted groundbreaking research into chimpanzee behavior. Goodall was famous for her personal relationships with the animals, as “a neighbor rather than a distant observer,” according to the Jane Goodall Institute website.
For more information about Jane Goodall, visit the Jane Goodall Institute.
