Her groundbreaking research into the lives of chimpanzees opened the world to a new understanding and empathy towards the wild ecosystem she studied and protected for more than 60 years
She would go on to become a legendary anthropologist and conservationist.
She was an advocate for animals—what she referred to as sentient beings.
Her groundbreaking research into the lives of chimpanzees opened the world to a new understanding and empathy towards the wild ecosystem she studied and protected for more than 60 years.
She travelled widely, visiting research centres and zoos around the world, calling for the humane treatment of man’s closest relatives.
It all began at Gombe National Park, years before Tanzania gained independence.
A 26-year-old British woman chose the unknown jungles as her home.
The British colonial administration in Nairobi was alarmed that one of their young female citizens had chosen an African wilderness as her habitat.
Her mother later joined her in Tanzania to calm everyone’s nerves.
With her calm and observant nature, she began to study the primates of Gombe National Park, located along the north-eastern shores of Lake Tanganyika.
The mountainous region is now popular with trekkers who come for its steep valleys, waterfalls, and primate population.
It is Tanzania’s smallest national park but one of the most famous.
For 65 years, it has been in the global spotlight since Dr Jane Goodall first set foot on its montane forest reserve.
It was in this very forest that she observed a chimpanzee using a stick, after stripping off its leaves, to catch termites.
It was the first recorded instance of an animal other than humans using tools. She reported this remarkable discovery to Dr Louis Leakey.
That marked the opening of a window into the world of primates.
She ventured into a male-dominated field and knew she would have to step on toes, navigate egos, and confront the sexualisation she faced as a woman scientist in the 1960s.
She recalled how, during a photoshoot only a few years after settling in Tanzania, a National Geographic photographer focused more on her legs in khaki shorts than on her message about chimpanzee conservation.
Despite such moments, she would later use her fame to raise funds for chimpanzee protection and to amplify her voice for conservation worldwide.
Gombe National Park is today a thriving tourism hub. Accommodation facilities have expanded to serve the growing number of visitors drawn to the reserve.
From morning boat rides on Lake Tanganyika to treks through the forest in search of chimpanzees and other primates, visitors describe the experience as unforgettable.
The park’s guides also earn glowing reviews.
Though Gombe is known mainly for its chimpanzees, it is also home to baboons, red-tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys, blue monkeys, and colobus monkeys.
The guides are eager to help visitors spot each species during their treks.
The long walks are well rewarded.
As the day ends, Gombe offers one of the most stunning sunset views over Lake Tanganyika.
The surrounding lodges are impressive, offering spacious rooms and a blend of Tanzanian and international cuisine.
The park also hosts the Gombe Stream Research Centre, operated by the Jane Goodall Institute at Kasekera village.
The facility focuses on chimpanzee behavioural studies, long-term ecological research, and population monitoring.
Once an endangered species, the chimpanzee is now among the most studied and closely observed primates in Tanzania.
The centre also works with neighbouring communities on conservation outreach programmes.
Jane would spend hours walking alone in the forest, keeping her distance from human contact.
She watched the primates closely, studying their way of life and behaviour.
She would later say that observing how chimpanzee mothers cared for their young taught her valuable lessons in raising her own child, Hugo Eric Louis van Lawick.
Her son grew up in the same wild environment where his mother worked.
Dr Goodall ensured that he was always safe and cared for. Motherhood never slowed her commitment to protecting the primates she had dedicated her life to.
During the AIDS pandemic, when the world was struggling with the virus and scientists were using primates for research, Dr Goodall still travelled to research centres.
She advocated for humane treatment of the animals—larger cages, enrichment toys, and more social time among them.
Her approach was unconventional. As she aged, she adapted her advocacy.
She appeared on television and podcasts to reach younger audiences. At 91, she became the oldest-ever guest on the popular podcast Call Her Daddy.
She was relentless, and age never slowed her down. In her final days, she was in California for a speaking engagement.
She had recently co-produced a film titled Howl with Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio, a fellow environmental and climate activist.
Her tireless work as a conservationist helped raise Gombe National Park’s profile on the global stage.
From early visits by Dr Louis Leakey to media and film crews eager to tell her story, all travelled to this remote area.
National Geographic was among the first to visit. Their filmmaker, Hugo van Lawick, would later become Goodall’s husband.
The couple shared ten years of marriage and a deep passion for wildlife.
Over the years, other global figures have followed.
The humanitarian and actress Angelina Jolie visited Gombe, sharing similar conservation interests.
So did Oprah Winfrey, the American billionaire philanthropist.
Several United Nations officials have also toured the park to observe its conservation and development initiatives.
Gombe National Park has firmly established itself as the birthplace of modern chimpanzee research.
Since 1960, when the young British researcher began her work there, it has hosted the longest continuous field study of wild animals in history.
The data collected over the past six decades is unmatched.
Breakthrough discoveries about tool use, hunting patterns, and social hierarchies among chimpanzee communities have challenged earlier assumptions about humanity’s closest relatives.
Visitors to Gombe National Park enjoy a unique experience.
Unlike in open savannah parks, here they can observe wild chimpanzees up close under the watchful guidance of park rangers.
The chimps are habituated to human presence after decades of contact.
They rarely show aggression towards visitors.
Access to the park is by boat or dhow from Kigoma, as there are no roads leading directly to the reserve.
The isolation adds to its sense of mystery and adventure.
Trekkers often describe the journey as part of the park’s charm.
Gombe has become a symbol of conservation, humanity, empathy, and coexistence.
It embodies the principle that all species sharing this planet must learn to live in harmony.
Dr Jane Goodall championed this belief with quiet but firm persuasion, urging world leaders to care.
She will be remembered not only as an anthropologist and primatologist but also as a human rights and environmental activist.
Her influence extended into the realm of community empowerment.
In the 1980s, she began addressing the challenges facing villagers around Gombe.
Poverty and deforestation were widespread. She realised that for conservation to succeed, the people living near the primate reserve had to be empowered and actively involved.
Her institute initiated community-based projects that improved livelihoods while reducing pressure on forest resources.
These efforts bridged the gap between humans and wildlife, demonstrating that conservation and development can coexist.
Today, Gombe National Park remains a living testament to her life’s work.
Its forests echo with the calls of chimpanzees that generations of scientists have studied.
Each rustle of leaves and each distant cry serves as a reminder of the woman who changed the world’s view of nature.
Dr Jane Goodall’s legacy endures—not only in the scientific data she collected but in the compassion she inspired.
Her work continues to guide conservationists, reminding humanity that the fate of the wild is inseparable from our own.
