Conservationist and primatologist Jane Goodall dies aged 91

British conservationist and primatologist Dame Jane Goodall, known for her pioneering studies of chimpanzees, has died aged 91.

A post on her institute's Instagram page said she died peacefully in her sleep on Wednesday morning while in Los Angeles for a speaking tour.

"Dr Goodall's discoveries as an ethologist revolutionised science, and she was a tireless advocate for the protection and restoration of our natural world," said the post.

Jane Goodall was a British primatologist, ethologist and conservationist best known for her groundbreaking study of wild chimpanzees in Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park, where she began research in 1960.

Her decades of close observation revealed complex social structures, tool use and emotional depth among chimpanzees, reshaping scientific understanding of primates and human evolution.

Beyond her scientific work, Goodall founded the Jane Goodall Institute and the Roots & Shoots programme, advocating for wildlife conservation, animal welfare and environmental education worldwide. She remains one of the most influential voices in primatology and conservation.

Greenpeace remembered her as "one of the true conservation giants of our time" who inspired "millions".

The United Nations said she left an "extraordinary legacy for humanity and nature".

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex described her as "a visionary humanitarian, scientist, friend to the planet, and friend to us".