With heavy hearts, Wildlife Trust of India honours the passing of Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE — a scientist, advocate, and gentle force of nature whose life changed the way the world sees the wild. She passed away at the age of 91, leaving behind a legacy of compassion, rigorous science, and a boundless belief in the power of individuals to heal the planet.

Goodall’s journey began in 1960 at Gombe, Tanzania, where she ventured into what became the longest continuous study of wild chimpanzees. She revealed that these animals used tools, formed complex social bonds, and felt emotions — insights that reshaped modern ethology and forged deep respect for non-human lives.

Through Jane Goodall Institute India, she supported youth programmes like Roots & Shoots and Vanya Bharat, aiming to foster environmental stewardship across India’s diverse landscapes. These projects strive for coexistence — between people, wildlife, and the land.

Goodall’s ethos — empowering local people, valuing every life, understanding ecosystems holistically — complements Wildlife Trust of India’s (WTI) work in India. Her global example affirmed that change depends on grassroots action as much as on scientific discovery. Every young person she inspired in India stands as a living bridge between her work and organisations like WTI.

Dr. Goodall taught us that science is more than study; it is respect. That hope is not a passive waiting, but an active choice. And that every individual, however small, carries the capacity to act for the wild.

Her passing feels like losing an old friend — yet her voice, her values, her vision live on in every protected forest, every young activist, every animal saved from harm. India, the world, mourns. We also give thanks — for the changed hearts, the restored landscapes, the lives touched.

May we honour her memory not only with words, but with daily acts of kindness, courage, and commitment — for the wild, for the vulnerable, for the future she believed in so deeply.