Jane Goodall

In 1957, Goodall met a scientist named Louis Leakey. He invited her to live in a jungle so she could study chimpanzees. 

At that time, men could do whatever kind of work they wanted. But women were expected to stay home. People told Goodall not to go to the jungle. But she didn’t listen.

She went to Tanzania, a country in Africa. She watched chimps in their habitat in the Gombe forest. Instead of observing from afar, she treated the chimps like neighbors. She even gave them names. 

Primates are a group of creatures that includes chimpanzees, orangutans, and humans. Goodall changed primatology by noticing that chimps are like humans in many ways. 

In 1960, she saw a chimp use a twig to catch bugs for dinner. The twig was a tool, and humans use tools too. 

She noticed that chimps have emotions. We do too. She saw that chimpanzee mothers share a special bond with their babies. Human moms do as well.

Today, Goodall is 88 years old. She still helps animals and the environment. She wants kids to remember that we all live on the same planet. 

“You make an impact,” she says. “And you have a choice as to what sort of impact you make.”

Goodall also has a positive feeling about the future. “I’ve got hope for the environment again,” she says. “But we must take action—now.”

1. Why do you think the author includes the story about Goodall hiding in a hen house? 
2. Based on the article, what was unusual about the way Goodall observed chimpanzees in Tanzania?
3. What were two similarities Goodall noticed between chimps and humans?