Jane Goodall, who has forever changed the way we see animals, dies at 91

Anyone offering to offer a master class on the change of the world for the best, without becoming negative, cynical, angry or bounded in the process, could model their advice on the life and work of the pioneer of animal behavior Jane Goodall.

The journey of Goodall’s life extends from the wonder of somewhat banal creatures – although it would never call them like this – in her English backyard as a little girl with a wide -wide eyes in the 1930s to question the very definition of what a human being means through his research on chimpanzees in Tanzania. From there, it has become a global icon and a United Nations messenger of peace.

Until his death at the age of 91, Goodall has retained a charm, an opening of mind, an optimism and a wonder with a wide -eyed eyes which are more typical of children. I know it because I had the chance to spend time with her and to share ideas of my own scientific career. For the public, she was a scientist and a world -renowned icon. For me, she was Jane – My mentor and inspiring friend.

Despite the massive changes that goods have made in the world of science, upsetting the study of animal behavior, it has always been joyful, encouraging and inspiring. I consider her a sweet disruptor. One of his greatest gifts was his ability to make everyone, at any age, has the power to change the world.

Discover the use of tools in animals

In his pioneering studies in the lush tropical forest of the Gombe Stream game reserve in Tanzania, now a national park, Goodall noted that the most successful chimpanzee chiefs were soft, attentive and family. The men who tried to reign by affirming their domination by violence, tyranny and threats did not last.

I am also a primatologist, and the revolutionary observations of Goodall from Chimpanzees in Gombe were one of my preliminary studies. She recorded chimpanzees by taking long pieces of grass and inserting them in termites nests to “fish” for insects to eat, which no one else had observed before.

It was the first time that an animal was seen using a tool, a discovery that modified the way scientists differentiated themselves between humanity and the rest of the animal kingdom.

Renowned anthropologist Louis Leakey chose Goodall to do this work precisely because she was not officially trained. When she arrived in the Leakey office in Tanzania in 1957, at 23, Leakey initially committed her as secretary, but he quickly spotted his potential and encouraged him to study the chimpanzees. Leakey wanted someone with a completely open mind, something he believed that most scientists lost during their official training.

Because the chimpanzees are the most living parents of humans, Leakey hoped that the understanding of animals would provide an overview of the first humans. In a male predominance area, he also thought that a woman would be more patient and insightful than a male observer. He was not wrong.

Six months later, when Goodall wrote his chimpanzee observations using tools, Leakey wrote: “Now we have to redefine the tool, redefine man or accept chimpanzees as humans.”

Goodall spoke of animals like having emotions and cultures, and in the case of chimpanzees, almost tribal communities. She also named the chimpanzees she observed, an unknown practice at the time, which reports the ridiculous of scientists who had traditionally numbered their research subjects.

One of his most remarkable observations has become known as Gombe Chimp War. It was a four -year conflict in which eight adult men in a community killed the six men of another community, taking control of their territory, to lose it from another larger community with even more men.

Confidence in his way

Goodall was persuasive, powerful and determined, and she often advised me not to succumb to the criticisms of people. Its path to revolutionary discoveries has not involved putting yourself aside or pouring competitors.

On the contrary, his journey to Africa was motivated by his wonder, his love of animals and a powerful imagination. As a little girl, she was fascinated by the 1912 story by Edgar Rice Burroughs “Tarzan of the Apes”, and she liked joking that Tarzan married the bad Jane.

When I was an old NFL girl cheerle, 23 years old, without scientific history at the time, and I looked at Goodall’s work, I imagined that I too could be like her. Large because of it, I became a primatologist, I co-discovered a new species of lemur in Madagascar and I had an incredible life and career, in science and on television, as a national geographic exploner.
When the time came to write my own story, I asked Goodall to contribute to the introduction. She wrote:

“The mayor of Mireya reminds me a little of me. Like me, she liked to be with animals when she was a child. And like me, she followed her dream until it becomes a reality. ”

Storyteller and teacher

Goodall was an incredible storyteller and saw it as the most successful way to help people understand the true nature of animals. With convincing images, she shared extraordinary stories about the intelligence of animals, monkeys and dolphins with rats and birds, and, of course, with octopus. She inspired me to become a wildlife correspondent for National Geographic so that I can share the stories and difficulties of endangered animals in the world.

Goodall inspired and advised world leaders, celebrities, scientists and environmentalists. She also touched the lives of millions of children.

Thanks to the Jane Goodall Institute, which strives to involve people from around the world in conservation, she has launched Roots & Shots, a global youth program that operates in more than 60 countries. The program teaches children the links between people, animals and the environment, and the means of engaging locally to help the three.

With the warmth, friendship and wonderful stories of Goodall, I cherish this comment: “The greatest danger for our future is our apathy. Each of us must assume the responsibility of our own life, and above all, show respect and love for living beings around us, especially. “

It is a radical notion of a unique scientist in its kind.

Mayor of Mireya, director of scientific exploration and communication, Florida International University. This article is republished from the conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.