Jane Goodall

WHO IS SHE: Dr.Jane Goodall is an English primatologist and anthropologist, considered to be the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees.

HOW SHE INSPIRE US: She is the founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and she has worked extensively on conservation and animal welfare issues. Today, Goodall devotes virtually all of her time to advocacy on behalf of chimpanzees and the environment. Goodall is also a board member for the world's largest chimpanzee sanctuary outside of Africa, Save the Chimps in Fort Pierce, Florida. Although Goodall has done animal research on chimpanzees exclusively for over 60 years, she has stated that dogs are her favourite animal.

WHAT SHE TAUGHT US: Over the years Goodall was able to correct a number of misunderstandings about chimpanzees. She found, for example, that the animals are omnivorous, not vegetarian; that they are capable of making and using tools; and, in short, that they have a set of hitherto unrecognized complex and highly developed social behaviours. Goodall wrote a number of books and articles about various aspects of her work, notably In the Shadow of Man (1971). She summarized her years of observation in The Chimpanzees of Gombe: Patterns of Behavior (1986). In 2002 she became a UN Messenger of Peace.

We Woof You Jane Goodall! You’re an inspiration!