Jane Goodall

Jane Goodall knows the language of the chimps!

Jane Goodall has been a Chimpanzee expert for years. She started as a 23-year-old in 1960. Originally from England, she traveled to Tanzania with only a notebook and a pair of binoculars. With her patience and optimism, she was about gaining these creatures trust and in return they let her into their complex lives. She has now founded the Jane Goodall Institute, which supports the Gombe research and she works tirelessly as a global leader to protect chimpanzees and their habitats.

Chimpanzee’s are very complex creatures, but are often misunderstood. They are actually our closest living relatives who share about 98% of our same DNA. Chimpanzees are, however, an endangered species. Humans not only hunt them for their meat, but also spread disease to them because of the close contact. Logging also threatens chimps because it is quickly destroying their habitat. Without these threats, chimps can actually live 50 years or more. Just like us, they communicate with a ride range of complex vocalizations, facial expressions, postures, and gestures. They even laugh and play when tickled. Chimps are also highly social and live in groups of mixed ages and sexes, however, they are also very territorial.

Jane Goodall made another great accomplishment when she was the first person to discover that chimps make and use tools. This knowledge of tools gets passed down from generation to generation. There have even been discovers of stone tools used by chimps over 4,000 years ago! Because of the shared DNA we share, chimps are ideal "lab rats" for many common medications and illnesses. This research causes the death and neglect of thousands of chimpanzees.

Luckily, there are people looking out for the chimps, such as Jane Goodall and others. Jane is an animal welfare activist and is the former president of Advocates for Animals which campaigns against the use of animals in medical research, zoos, farming, and sports. Jane has won countless awards and has published many, many books.

I find people like Jane to be my heroes. People who can speak for those who can't speak get big points in my book. Not only has she dedicated her life to such misunderstood creatures, but she's also done a lot for the environment and its well being. Keep up the good work, Jane!