British primatologist and conservation icon Dr Jane Goodall, who revolutionised the study of chimpanzees and was known as one of the world’s most respected voices for wildlife, died at the age of 91

Born on 3 April 1934 as Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall, in London, Jane Goodall developed a love for animals from a young age. She was the first scientist to explain to the world that chimpanzee mothers are capable of giving birth only once every four and a half to six years, and that only one or two babies are produced each year

Dr. Jane Goodall began her work in 1960 at Gombe National Park and spent decades living among wild chimpanzees. She founded the Jane Goodall Institute in 1977 to support research on great apes, and also established Roots and Shoots, a youth program

In November 2024, Goodall had visited Mumbai as part of her Hope Global Tour, which also marked her first visit to India and commended Mumbai’s unique human-leopard coexistence, stating, “Mumbai is a prime example that shows the world how humans and wildlife can live in harmony. We must recognise that wildlife and humans are inseparable, and the only way forward is peaceful coexistence.”

Dr Goodall interacted with forest officials and on-ground staff to gain a deeper understanding of man-animal coexistence in Mumbai, where wildlife and urban life exist in a delicate yet remarkable balance