Renowned primatologist Jane Goodall transformed her love of animals into a profession that changed the way humans view primates and made her a household name. The diminutive, adventurous woman came from an orthodox British family, but she gave up a comfortable family life to spend decades in the jungles of Africa.
When Jane Goodall was born in London on 3 April 1934, her name was Valerie Jane Maurice Goodall, but she always gave Jane her name. Her parents, businessman Mortimer Herbert Maurice Goodall and novelist Margaret Miffinway Joseph, gave their daughter everything she wanted, including a love affair with chimpanzees. In place of the teddy bear, Mr. Maurice Goodall decided to give young Jane a toy chimpanzee, which she cherished so much and named it Jubilee. As an adult, she believed That Jubilee initially encouraged her to study animals. She still put Jubilee on the dresser at home.
When she was only 23 years old, Goodall seized the opportunity to visit a farm in the Highlands of Kenya, which was owned by a family friend. In Africa, Goodall found a job as a secretary, but a friend who recognized Goodall's keen interest in African animals urged her to contact Louis Leakey, a prominent archaeologist and paleontologist known for excavating the skeletal remains of early humans on the continent. Goodell only wanted to have a good chat with Li Kee, so she was surprised when Li Kee gave her a job as a secretary because Li Kee planned for her to eventually study chimpanzees.
At the time, Goodal didn't even have a college degree. What she had, and what Niche recognized, was a palpable passion for primates and a natural connection with primates that could not be taught. Niche sent her back to the UK to learn her skills from two prominent primate experts. Two years later, she returned to Africa to observe wild chimpanzees in what is now Gombe Creek National Park in Tanzania. Niche and his wife eventually paid for her bachelor's degree earned in 1962 and then published her doctoral dissertation based on her observations at Gunbey Creek in 1965.
Jane and her Tarzan
In 1960, at the age of 26, Goodell was accompanied to the park by his mother, Margaret. The warden at Gunbe Creek thought she was too naïve to run around without anyone, fearing for her safety, so he forbade the young woman to study alone.
Of course, this proved unnecessary. Goodall was a perfect professional, observing the same group of chimpanzees for years and carefully documenting their behavior. She observed that each animal has a unique personality, expressing love through hugs and kisses, exhibiting emotions similar to those of humans, and forming social and family relationships similar to ours. This was a revolutionary concept at the time. At the time, it was also thought that only humans had the ability to make tools, but Goodall observed that chimpanzees chose grass stems and inserted them into insect nests to "catch" termites with grass stems. It also overturns the long-held belief that chimpanzees are vegetarians.
Unfortunately, she also refutes the idea that humans are the only species involved in the war. In 1974, she noticed a community of chimpanzees divided into two groups and became nemesis, fighting each other for four years during Goodall's so-called Gombe Chimpanzee War. One by one, the victors of the war killed all the adult male members of another group, assimilating the female members of it. This shakes Goodell's belief that chimpanzees are "largely better than humans," but also dwarfs the Jangata of human exceptionalism.
Goodall's kindness
Jane Goodall remains committed to protecting chimpanzees and other African animals. She founded the Jane Goodall Institute in 1977 to support ongoing research in Gunbey Creek National Park and to provide protection for dwindling chimpanzees. She has written numerous books and articles on the subject, traveled the world giving lectures and presentations, and raised funds for conservation and education efforts. After entering the golden age, she showed no signs of slowing down.