Dr. Jane Goodall, known for her work as a chimpanzee advocate, left behind a mountain of research and scientific accomplishments when she died. Goodall was 91 when her eponymous institute announced her death in a statement on October 1, 2025.
“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 announced. “She was in California as part of her speaking tour in the United States. Dr. Goodall’s discoveries as an ethologist revolutionized science, and she was a tireless advocate for the protection and restoration of our natural world.”
Below, Hollywood Life is remembering the late Dr. Goodall for her life’s work in research and more.
Jane Goodall’s Love for Chimpanzees Started With a Stuffed Animal
Jane carried around her iconic stuffed animal, Jubilee, almost anywhere she went. She received it from her father as a child, and Jane’s love for animals grew from there.
Jane Goodall Lived With a Condition Known as Face Blindness
Per CNN, the late zoologist lived with a condition called prosopagnosia, a.k.a “face blindness,” which is a cognitive disorder that limits one’s ability to recognize faces.
Jane Goodall Was Married Twice in Her Life
Jane was married twice, the first time to her ex-husband, Dutch wildlife photographer Baron Hugo van Lawick. The duo married in 1964, and Jane was briefly known as Baroness Jane van Lawick-Goodall. They divorced in 1974 after welcoming their son, Hugo Eric Louis.
In 1975, Jane married her late husband, Derek Bryceson, who was a member of Tanzania’s parliament and the director of the country’s national parks. He died of cancer in 1980. Jane never remarried after her husband’s death.
Jane Goodall Is the Subject of More Than 40 Movies
Dr. Goodall is the subject of dozens of movies, including 1965’s Miss Goodall and the Wild Chimpanzees, 1990’s The Life and Legend of Jane Goodall, 2017’s Jane and 2020’s Jane Goodall: The Hope, all by National Geographic.
Goodall also voiced her own character in Nickelodeon’s hit children’s series The Wild Thornberrys.
Jane Goodall’s Favorite Animals Were Dogs, Not Chimpanzees
Although Jane was a fierce advocate for chimpanzees and dedicated her life’s work to them, she stated in 2011 her favorite animal was a dog, per The Global and Mail.
