Jane Goodall Dies While on Speaking Tour: Pioneering Chimpanzee Researcher Was 91

Jane Goodall has died at the age of 91. The world-renowned primatologist died of natural causes in California while on a public speaking tour, according to an announcement made by the Jane Goodall Institute on Wednesday, October 1.

“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,” read the statement shared on Instagram. “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.”