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Sir David Attenborough has paid tribute to long-time friend DameJane Goodall after she died aged 91 from “natural causes” in California.
The Jane Goodall Institute confirmed the passing of Dame Jane on Wednesday, prompting widespread tributes for the renowned conservationist and the world’s leading expert on chimpanzee behaviour.
Sir David said: “Jane Goodall was the first to prove that an investigating scientist and a great ape living in the wild could become true friends, and in doing so, she came to transform our understanding of chimpanzees. She was their tireless advocate and a great champion of environmental protection.”
The ethologist began pioneering research into free-living chimpanzees in Tanzania in 1960. Her work was notable as it was then unheard of for a woman to venture into Africa’s wilds for such studies, fundamentally reshaping scientific understanding.
It comes after Oscar-winning actor and environmental campaigner Leonardo DiCaprio has led tributes to his “dear friend” and personal “hero”.
He said “we all must carry the torch” for Dame Jane and protect “our one shared home”, in a post to Instagram on Wednesday.
The Titanic star shared photos of himself and Dame Jane, who was made a UN Messenger of Peace in 2002, 12 years before DiCaprio was also given the honorific title.
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Jane Goodall communicates with chimpanzee Nana (DDP/AFP/Getty)
“Today we have lost a true hero for the planet, an inspiration to millions, and a dear friend,” DiCaprio said.
“Jane Goodall devoted her life to protecting our planet and giving a voice to the wild animals and the ecosystems they inhabit.
“Her ground-breaking research on chimpanzees in Tanzania transformed our understanding of how our closest relatives live, socialise and think – reminding us that we are deeply connected not only to chimpanzees and the other great apes, but to all life.
“For decades, Jane travelled the world with tireless energy, awakening generations to the wonder of the natural world.
“She spoke directly to the next generation, instilling hope, responsibility and the belief that every individual can make a difference. She inspired millions to care, to act, and to hope. She never stopped.
“My deepest condolences to her family. Please join me in honouring her legacy by supporting [The Jane Goodall Institute] and other conservation groups which she cared about.
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Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said he was ‘heartbroken’ to hear of Dame Jane Goodall’s death (Reuters)
“My last message to Jane was simple: ‘You are my hero.’ Now, we all must carry the torch for her in protecting our one shared home.”
US comedian Ellen DeGeneres thanked Dame Jane in the caption of an Instagram post where she said the conservationist “broke barriers for women all over the world”.
Accompanying the comedian’s message was a video of her interviewing Dame Jane, who said it was uncommon for women to be scientists when she started her career, aged 26.
She also said that “everyone laughed” at her dream, except for her mother who said: “If you really want this, you have to work really hard, take advantage of all opportunities, but don’t give up.”
Naturalist and TV presenter Chris Packham lauded the conservationist’s work as “revolutionary” and said Dame Jane “was up against it” when she began her career.
“[Her work] was revolutionary and she approached it in a very different way at the time,” he told BBC News.
“Let’s not forget that this was the late 1950s, early Sixties. She was a woman in science, and she was a woman in science without an undergraduate degree, so she was up against it as it was.
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Joe Biden presents Jane Goodall with the Presidential Medal in January (AP)
“She nevertheless immersed herself in that society and that gave her the capacity to identify traits within those animals, to learn their personalities and know them as individuals.”
He added: “She was remarkable, and it spoke of that determination which endured throughout the course of her life, because here, at the age of 91 on a speaking tour, still advocating for life on Earth in her calm, calculated, deliberate way, capturing the ears of everyone from children to politicians, to make sure that we can do everything we can to protect life on Earth in a time of crisis.”
Packham continued: “To have lost a hero at a time when we need all of them on the front line fighting for the future of life on Earth, it is a tragedy.”
Former US presidents Joe Biden, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama were among those who celebrated her life and legacy.
Mr Biden said he was “deeply saddened” by the news of Dame Jane’s passing, while Mr Obama praised her “remarkable ability” to “connect with the natural wonders of our world”.
Mr Clinton said on Facebook the “best tribute we can pay her is to redouble our efforts to defend the environment”.
Also paying tribute was former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, who said he was “heartbroken” to hear of Dame Jane’s death, saying “her compassion will live on” in future conservation.