RIP Jane Goodall (91), primatologist and conservationist

[Astronuc]

Jane Goodall, the famed primatologist and conservationist, has died, according to the institute she founded. She was 91 years old.

"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 said in a statement on social media. "She was in California as part of her speaking tour in the United States."

https://abcnews.go.com/Internationa...st-conservationist-dead-91/story?id=109868347


https://www.npr.org/2025/10/01/459238450/jane-goodall-primatologist-dead-91

https://whyy.org/articles/jane-goodall-died-chimpanzee-research-environomental-advocacy/

https://freshairarchive.org/guests/jane-goodall

 

[fresh_42]

 

[berkeman]

I remember a TV documentary (NOVA episode?) many years ago that covered some of the work Dr. Goodall did with apes who had been taught sign language. One thing that stuck with me all these years is how they said that some of the behaviors by Koko (I think it was her) showed that she did more than just mimic the sign language teachers -- she actually understood the language, and used it on her own. The example they gave was one time when she realized she needed to go the bathroom pretty urgently, but the bathroom enclosure was across the compound. They saw her take off running signing to herself "Hurry, Hurry!". Pretty amazing.

https://babysignlanguage.com/dictionary/hurry/

https://news.janegoodall.org/2018/06/22/dr-goodall-remembers-koko-the-gorilla/

 

[fresh_42]

I think we generally still underestimate our fellow animals on this planet.

 

[robphy]

(1965) Miss Goodall and the Wild Chimpanzees


(1988) National Geographic Special, Miss Goodall and the Wild Chimpanzees (1965)


(2017) Dr. Jane Goodall Teaches Jimmy About Pant-Hoots and Roots & Shoots

 

[sbrothy]

I know Wikipedia links are scorned so I won't link directly but, there is an extensive list of primatologists which can be found as a "category". I like that even though the list is ordered alphabetically Goodall is still basically listed first.

 

[DennisN]

A true legend. May she rest in peace.

 

[Bandersnatch]

This ape lived long and had fun talking to other apes. It was a good ape, worth aping.

 

[difalcojr]

....................................................

[Mentor Note: Dr. Goodall has commented that she liked the cartoon above, which was also used to help raise funds for her institute. See the news interview below.]
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-chimp-change/182161880/

 

[difalcojr]

Yes, I meant no disrespect to Dr. Goodall. Thank you to Mentor for helping on that. I was going to followup too.

I heard the story on the radio yesterday. After Gary Larson and "Far Side" published the joke, her foundation reacted furiously against it, but when Goodall saw it, she laughed and thought it was funny. Larson visited her, the story went, they became friends, and he donated to her foundation. He owed her.

 

[berkeman]

Thread closed temporarily.

 

[berkeman]

After deleting an off-topic discussion, the thread is reopened provisionally. Please stay on-topic for this thread. Thank you.

 

[fresh_42]

And why is post #10 on topic? Because you liked it? Asking for Jane Goodall.

 

[berkeman]

And why is post #10 on topic? Because you liked it? Asking for Jane Goodall.

Because it is on-topic and about Dr. Goodall. Please DM me if you need to discuss this more. Thanks.

 

[Klystron]

I have a Jane Goodall anecdote that I think about often during these strange days.

While visiting at Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA, the good doctor gave a series of primatology and social animal lectures at De Anza College in nearby Cupertino open to the public. Doctor Goodall interspersed lecture and slides with vivid vocalizations of various creatures under discussion including hyenas, African Cape dogs, jackals, gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos.

The primate vocals were particularly striking, rendered by this slender woman with loud piercing "Hoot! hoot!" screams. Written language cannot do her rendition justice but she emphasized troop warning cries from a dominant female. Much of the land surrounding De Anza was controlled by Church of God protestant sect who sent minions to disrupt her lectures with sophomoric reductive questions.

Once Doctor Jane realized these non-student agitators were there to disrupt learning, she began answering in chimpanzee, "Ook! Oook! Hoot!". The audience went wild, repeating her language lessons to stifle disruptions. "OOK. Ook! Hoot!"

From that time forward student attendees would answer specious unscientific rhetoric with Jane Goodall chimpanzee bravado, "Ook, ook! Hoot!". Lately, after listening to certain nutty newscasts I mutter to myself, "Ook, ook!" in memory of our dear doctor.