‘Jane Goodall was a much more complex character than most people think’

The celebrated scientist's gentle public persona was only part of her story. Diana Maclean speaks to friends and colleagues about the many sides of Goodall the public rarely got to see

- Diana Maclean

“Most people associate her with being a gentle, loving person who elevated chimps and other animals to near-human status”, reflects National Geographic photographer Frans Lanting.

“I’ve seen her many times on stage and behind the scenes, and indeed her energy was astonishing, but not so many people know that she was also very fierce.”

Working alongside Jane Goodall on her lecture tours over many years, Lanting would see this up close. She continues, “She would have no hesitation to correct interviewers or other people when she felt that an argument needed to be countered, facts needed to be corrected, and was fierce as well when it came to defending her values, and the goals that she wanted to achieve. She was a much more complex character than most people might give her credit for. We were looking forward to seeing her again. She was in California.”