Jane Goodall, primatologist and conservationist, remembered by global zoo community

Zoos across the globe are paying tribute to British primatologist and conservationist Jane Goodall, who has died at age 91, the Jane Goodall Institute announced on 1 October.

Goodall, who died of natural causes in Los Angeles, California while on a speaking tour of the US, was a trailblazer known for her pioneering studies of chimpanzees.

An advocate for conservation and community-led change, Goodall spent more than four decades advancing the Jane Goodall Institute's programmes in Africa and around the world.

UK zoos to remember Goodall include Chester Zoo, which described her as "a pioneering scientist, a tireless advocate for wildlife and one of the most inspiring conservationists of all time".

The zoo added: "While we mourn her loss, her legacy continues. It lives on in the species whose survival depends on conservation, in the people she empowered to act and in the hope she never let go of, even in the face of great challenges.

"We must carry her message forward – protecting nature is not a choice but a responsibility and that each of us has the power to change the world for the better."

The Zoological Society of London's chief executive Matthew Gould also applauded Goodall's work. He said: "Today, we remember one of the great figures of conservation, who transformed our understanding of primates, and inspired millions with her work, and give thanks for her remarkable life.

"Jane Goodall's death marks the passing of one of the great figures from conservation."

On social media, Twycross Zoo wrote: "Thank you, Jane."

"We must carry her message forward"

Paignton Zoo wrote in a social media post: "[Jane's] tireless advocacy for environmental action inspired generations and her legacy will continue to resonate within the zoo community and all those who share her passion for conservation."

In the US, the Wildlife Conservation Society, which manages four New York zoos and an aquarium, said it is celebrating "the extraordinary gift of [Jane's] long life and her many achievements".

It added, "We hope to honor her legacy in our continued work to save wildlife and wild places. Thank you, Jane."

The San Diego Zoo wrote on social media: "[Jane] will be profoundly missed, and here at San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, we will continue to honor her lasting legacy."

The Los Angeles Zoo's tribute said: "While Dr Goodall will be deeply missed, her contributions to primate conservation, her passion for wildlife, and her research lives on in the countless people she touched along her journey, including those in Los Angeles and at the Los Angeles Zoo."

Elsewhere, Zoos South Australia wrote: "The hope and determination Dr Goodall instilled in so many burns brightly as we recognise the urgency of carrying on her vital work."

Lead image credit: JGI/Chase Pickering