Science with a Soul: Commemorating Jane Goodall’s Legacy

Jane Goodall passed away on 1 October 2025, marking the close of an extraordinary life. Yet, the values she nurtured in younger generations—compassion, curiosity, and reverence for the natural world—will continue to shape conservation efforts and inspire ecological stewardship for years to come.

- BY THARINDU MUTHUKUMARANA [e-mail] (Author of the award-winning book “The Life of Last Proboscideans: Elephants”)

A hallmark of Goodall’s lectures was her unwavering belief that even amidst adversity, hope endures. She consistently illuminated the silver linings behind the darkest clouds, inspiring countless conservationists to remain optimistic and steadfast in their efforts to protect the natural world.

Born on April 3, 1934, in London, England, Goodall’s fascination with animals took root in early childhood, nurtured by books, nature, and an insatiable curiosity. After completing her education, she worked as a secretary—a modest beginning that belied the groundbreaking path she would soon embark upon.

Driven by her passion for wildlife and outdoor exploration, a friend introduced her to Dr. Louis Leakey, the renowned KenyanBritish paleoanthropologist and archaeologist whose excavations at Olduvai Gorge helped establish Africa as the cradle of human evolution. Leakey’s work was instrumental in reshaping our understanding of human origins.

When Goodall reached out to Leakey, the timing was serendipitous. He was searching for three women to study our closest primate relatives—chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans—as part of his effort to investigate Charles Darwin’s theory that humans and apes share a common ancestor. Leakey believed women made better observers: patient, detail-orientated, and less imposing in the field.

He selected Goodall to study chimpanzees in Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park, Dian Fossey to observe gorillas in Rwanda’s Virunga Mountains, and Biruté Galdikas to research orangutans in Borneo. The trio would later be celebrated as "The Trimates" and, at times, "Leakey's Angels."