Conservationist Dame Jane Goodall dies aged 91

Sir David Attenborough and Prince William have paid tribute to Dame Jane Goodall, a world-leading expert on chimpanzees, who has died aged 91.

Sir David, 99, a friend of Dr Goodall's, praised her as a "tireless advocate" of chimpanzees and "a great champion of environmental protection".

The Prince of Wales said she inspired him personally and "her boundless curiosity, compassion and pioneering spirit transformed our understanding of the natural world".

Dr Goodall died of natural causes while in California on a speaking tour of the US, according to a statement from the Jane Goodall Institute.

Born in 1934 and raised in London, Dr Goodall said she became fascinated by animals after reading books like The Story of Dr Doolittle and Tarzan.

She met leading primatologist Prof Louis Leakey while staying on a friend's farm in Kenya in her mid-twenties. Although she had no qualifications, Mr Leakey saw her potential and helped arrange her first research trip to the jungles of Tanzania in 1960.

That year, she became the first person to record witnessing an animal using a tool - a large male chimpanzee, who she had named David Greybeard, digging termites out of a mound with a stick.

Until then, it was thought only humans were intelligent enough to do so. Her observations challenged years of conventional scientific thinking and shaped the future of evolutionary science.

Her work was published in leading journals, and in 1965 she made the front cover of National Geographic, introducing the world to the emotional and social lives of the primates.

Her Jane Goodall Institute, founded in 1977, works to protect chimpanzees and supports projects aimed at benefiting animals and the environment.

Dr Goodall was appointed a Dame in 2003 and received the US Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2025.

She was known for travelling constantly for her work, telling the Times newspaper in 2022 that she had not slept in the same bed for more than three weeks since 1986.

Dr Goodall worked right up until her death, being interviewed on stage in New York a week ago. She was due to speak again at a sold-out event on 3 October in California.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex joined the many honouring the legacy of Dr Goodall, describing her as a "tireless advocate" for the protection of nature.

"Dr Jane Goodall DBE was a visionary humanitarian, scientist, friend to the planet, and friend to us," Prince Harry and Meghan said in a statement.

Former Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, said "her compassion will live on" in future conservation work.

Secretary General of the United Nations António Guterres hailed her work as a Messenger of Peace, a UN title she has held since 2002 for bringing "global attention to the urgency of protecting our environment".

Environmental organisations, including Greenpeace and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta), have also commemorated Dr Goodall's legacy.