Jane Goodall passed away on 1 October 2025, marking the close of an extraordinary life. Yet, the values she nurtured in younger generations—compassion, curiosity, and reverence for the natural world—will continue to shape conservation efforts and inspire ecological stewardship for years to come. A hallmark of Goodall’s lectures was her unwavering belief that even amidst adversity, hope endures. She consistently illuminated the silver linings behind the darkest clouds, inspiring countless conservationists to remain optimistic and steadfast in their efforts to protect the natural world.

Journey to become a scientist

Born on April 3, 1934, in London, England, Goodall’s fascination with animals took root in early childhood, nurtured by books, nature, and an insatiable curiosity. After completing her education, she worked as a secretary—a modest beginning that belied the groundbreaking path she would soon embark upon.

Driven by her passion for wildlife and outdoor exploration, a friend introduced her to Dr. Louis Leakey, the renowned Kenyan-British paleoanthropologist and archaeologist whose excavations at Olduvai Gorge helped establish Africa as the cradle of human evolution. Leakey’s work was instrumental in reshaping our understanding of human origins.

When Goodall reached out to Leakey, the timing was serendipitous. He was searching for three women to study our closest primate relatives—chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans—as part of his effort to investigate Charles Darwin’s theory that humans and apes share a common ancestor. Leakey believed women made better observers: patient, detail-orientated, and less imposing in the field.

He selected Goodall to study chimpanzees in Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park, Dian Fossey to observe gorillas in Rwanda’s Virunga Mountains, and Biruté Galdikas to research orangutans in Borneo. The trio would later be celebrated as “The Trimates” and, at times, “Leakey’s Angels.”

In 1960, at just 26 years old, Goodall began her fieldwork. Within months, she made a discovery that would upend conventional anthropology: she observed chimpanzees modifying sticks to fish for termites—clear evidence of tool use. The phrase “Man the tool-maker” encapsulated the prevailing belief at the time, defining tool-making as a uniquely human trait.

Goodall immediately sent a telegram to Leakey describing the behaviour. His response was legendary: “Now we must redefine ‘tool’, redefine ‘man’, or accept chimpanzees as humans.”

Her discovery challenged long-held assumptions and opened the door to a broader understanding of intelligence across species. Today, we know that many animals—including elephants, crows, dolphins, sea otters, octopuses, and even ants—use tools for foraging, defence, and problem-solving. The idea that tool use is exclusive to humans has long since been retired.

Despite lacking a university degree, Goodall’s groundbreaking observations—such as chimpanzees using tools—prompted Leakey to secure her admission to the University of Cambridge. She became one of the few individuals allowed to pursue a PhD without a bachelor’s degree, completing her thesis in 1966 under ethologist Robert Hinde. Her work, based on five years of study at Gombe, revolutionised our understanding of primate behaviour and blurred the boundaries between human and animal cognition. Afterwards, throughout her life, she was honoured with many honorary doctorates.

A scientist with compassion

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As her scientific reputation grew, so did her sense of responsibility. In 1977, she founded the Jane Goodall Institute, a global organisation dedicated to wildlife conservation, community-centred development, and environmental education. Her Roots & Shoots programme, launched in 1991, was a programme that is dedicated to fostering positive transformation through education. Its goals include engaging meaningfully with the natural world, cultivating empathy and respect for animals and all forms of life, and promoting mutual understanding across cultures, ethnicities, religions, social classes, and nations. Additionally, it seeks to empower young people to grow into confident, compassionate, and optimistic individuals.

Following the 1986 Understanding Chimpanzees conference, Jane Goodall shifted her focus from field observation to global conservation and animal welfare. She led Advocates for Animals, opposing animal exploitation in research, farming, and entertainment, and later resigned due to conflicting views on captivity and her demanding schedule.

A committed vegetarian and later vegan, Goodall championed ethical eating, arguing for the sentience and dignity of farm animals. Her 2021 cookbook, Eat Meat Less, reflected her advocacy for compassionate diets.

Goodall’s environmental work included collaborations with NASA to combat deforestation in West Africa using satellite data. She co-founded Ethologists for the Ethical Treatment of Animals to promote humane research practices.

Her activism extended to public speaking, EU lobbying against animal testing, and support for population sustainability and biodiversity education. She played a key role in reclassifying all chimpanzees as endangered in the U.S. and supported campaigns against factory farming, animal transport for labs, and maternal deprivation experiments.

Politically, she endorsed Green Party MP Caroline Lucas and opposed fox hunting legislation. Her influence was recognised with a bronze statue in Manhattan and her support for ecocide to be recognised as an international crime. She pledged to plant five million trees and joined the Rewriting Extinction campaign, contributing to a climate-focused comic anthology. Goodall has written 32 books, including 15 specifically for children

Goodall and Sri Lanka

Before Goodall went to Africa to study chimpanzees, Leakey sent her for an apprenticeship under Osman Hill in London. Though Hill was in England at that time, Hill’s knowledge of primates came from his stay in Sri Lanka from 1930 to 1945. Many years later Goodall visited Sri Lanka’s ancient city of Polonnaruwa during the filming of Disney Nature’s Monkey Kingdom (2015), joining the crew documenting the life of toque macaques. At that time Goodall was Disney Nature’s Ambassador. The film highlights the monkeys’ lives and helps to promote Sri Lanka as a nature destination, with profits from the film used for conservation efforts.

In June 2021, Sri Lanka’s Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS) was privileged to host Goodall as a speaker at the Monthly Lecture series. In 2023 former president of WNPS, Sriyan De Silva Wijeyeratne, visited Goodall in person at her home in Bournemouth. Goodall was kind enough to autograph some of her books for WNPS and Sri Lankan youth. She also wanted to visit Sri Lanka once again, but unfortunately it never happened.

In the wake of Jane Goodall’s passing, tributes poured in from across the globe—each ceremony a testament to the profound impact she had on our understanding of the natural world. Goodall was not merely a scientist; she was a visionary who redefined the boundaries of natural science and deepened our empathy toward the living beings we share this planet with.

As Sri Lankans, we too have a responsibility to honour such a legacy. I propose that we plant a commemorative tree—a living symbol of gratitude and remembrance—in her name. Let this be a gesture not only of respect but of continuity, echoing her lifelong commitment to conservation. I humbly extend this appeal to the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS) of Sri Lanka.

Thank you, Goodall, for showing us that science can have a soul. Rest well, and know that your light still leads the way.

by Tharindu Muthukumarana
tharinduele@gmail.com

(Author of the award-winning book “The Life of Last Proboscideans: Elephants”)