Author: Jane Goodall

On the sad loss of Little Mama, one of the oldest chimpanzees in the world. I am really saddened to hear that Little Mama is no longer with us. She was one of the very first chimpanzees I met in America when I was invited to visit Lion Country Safaris sometime in the 1960s. Immediately I noticed this female who always loved to sit with a burlap bag over her head, looking just like a little old woman with a shawl. I visited many times over the years, pleased by the many improvements that were made to the chimpanzee islands…

November 14, 2017 It seems that each day brings ever more dire news about what we humans are doing to harm our planet, the animals that share it with us and, by doing so, harming ourselves also. You have an important opportunity to make a difference both now, and for future generations, by voting to oppose oil development in one of the world’s most spectacular wilderness areas-the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. This Refuge is a truly wonderful place – nearly 20 million acres of pristine and ecologically significant habitat. There is compelling scientific evidence as to why it is truly important…

First of all, we must acknowledge that the world, at present, is not a peaceful place. It seems that all around the globe there is armed conflict, modern day slavery, domestic violence, terrorism, racism, sexism, and hundreds of thousands of refugees seeking safety from wars or climate change or poverty. There is even a renewed threat of the use of nuclear weapons, as North Korea launches missiles and other nations feel they can only be safe from aggression if they, too, are equipped with these weapons of evil [Footnote 1]. While we humans continue to show unspeakable cruelty toward each…

I have spent many years learning about chimpanzees and been amazed at the many similarities between them and us (biologically we differ in the composition of our DNA by only just over one percent). But in one way there is a profound difference because, although chimpanzees are remarkably intelligent, we can hardly compare even the brightest with the human who can design a rocket that can reach the planet Mars, or with an Einstein or a Shakespeare. So how shocking that we, the most intellectual creature that has ever walked the planet, is destroying that planet. It is the only…

I was profoundly shocked when I heard that Wayne Lotter, co-founder of PAMS Foundation, and known for his courageous fight against poaching of wildlife, had been shot and killed earlier this week in the Masaki district of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Wayne was a hero of mine, a hero to many, someone who devoted his life to protecting Africa’s wildlife. As a young man, he served as a ranger in his native South Africa before moving to East Africa to fight poaching, especially elephant poaching in Tanzania. It was in 2009 that he teamed up with Krissie Clark and Ally Namangaya to form the…

Dr. Jane Goodall is famous for her boundless devotion to protecting wildlife and their ecosystems. Though her heart in many ways belongs to the chimpanzees of Gombe, Tanzania, where she first made so many mind expanding discoveries, she is truly a woman of absolute adoration of all living things. Among her favorite animals, and those with a particular place in her imagination, are the great, wise elephants of Africa. Each year for World Elephant Day, Dr. Goodall takes time to express her thoughts on the state of elephants, and remembers in vivid telling her experiences with these remarkable beings. As…

It has been four years since the passing of Nelson Mandela, on December 5th, 2013, but his memory vividly remains in the minds of millions around the world. His commitment to peace and justice were exceptional, and he impacted and inspired through both his words, and the way he lived. Dr. Goodall’s reflection on Mandela is a wonderful way to think about how to use the lessons of compassionate leaders to build a better tomorrow for all of humanity, and all living things. Jane uses a precious piece of Robben Island Prison, where Mandela was held for years, to share her message…

My first visit to China, in 1998, was to Shanghai at the invitation the Central East Asia Regional Council of Overseas Schools, where I gave a keynote address. I was thrilled by this opportunity, as it provided a way for me to honor a promise I had made to Greg MacIsaac, who had helped with the start of Roots & Shoots in Dar es Salaam in the early 1990s. He left Tanzania in order to help start a new international school in China – the Western Academy of Beijing (WAB) – and soon thereafter wrote inviting me to visit.  I…

For World Turtle Day, we must celebrate all the movements led by everyday people, working individually or together, to protect turtles and their environments. Dr. Goodall, as usual, offers a perfectly inspiring tale of the tortoises of Madagascar (specifically the ploughshare tortoise, one of the most critically endangered in the world) and their potential salvation, from her book Hope for Animals and Their World (Get the book here). From these ancient beings, once believed to carry the world on their backs, we can learn so much about stillness, the relativity of time, and the treatment we should provide all creatures…

Today, on International Day of Biodiversity, I reflect on the fact that we are experiencing the 6th great extinction; the first great extinction attributed directly to human actions. I have spent many, many days in the rain forests of Gombe National Park in Tanzania, and enjoyed opportunities to visit forests in other countries as well – in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the United States.  I have sensed a great spiritual power in these forests, and came to understand so clearly how everything is interconnected. Each species of plant and animal has its own part to play in the great…