The Incredible Work of Jane Goodall

Jane Goodall is a historical woman that has taught human beings not only about chimpanzees, but human nature as well. This primatologist held on to a dream from childhood that advanced into reality. Jane quietly and patiently observed chimps in Africa, and then recorded their every move. Many important discoveries came about because of this. Jane Goodall has remarkably changed the perception of chimpanzees and humans alike.

Despite the fact that Jane Goodall’s family was always on the move, her childhood was exciting. She owned a few animals that she would frequently observe, and record what they did. According to an online source, Jane always seemed to have an interest in all kinds of animals (Early Days 1). When Jane was a child she and her friends formed an Alligator Club with their own magazine. They would record what the saw with diagrams, and sometimes the inside of bugs (Goodall 18). Jane also owned a dog named Rusty that she adored more than anything else. She liked to see what Rusty would do in certain situations, and would even put clothes on him every now and again (Goodall 22). She also had the encouragement of her mother as a child. Her mom always pushed her to go as far as she could, and never give up. She was the one who bought Jane the two children’s books that really got her interested in wild animals, Tarzan and Dr. Dolittle (Early Days 1).

An author writes that when an invitation came in 1960 to visit a friend in Kenya, Africa, she immediately quit her job in London (Facklam 41). There she met Louis Leakey, a famous archaeologist, who gave her a secretarial job. Leakey could see Jane’s fascination in the African animals, and asked her to join him and his wife in a dig for bones at the Olduvai Gorge (Facklam...

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... in National Geographic, “…I left the Gombe Stream Research Center in the able hands of a new generation of scientists and dedicated Tanzanian field staff who now follow a generation of chimps (831A).

All in all, Jane Goodall has shown the world many inspirational thoughts and ideas about the human world compared to the animal world. Without her people would not know how some things that are thought of as advanced are really quite primitive. Humans now have an understanding on how cavemen might have survived, as well. In addition, an online source informs everyone that much of Goodall’s current work is carried on by the Jane Goodall Institute for Wildlife Research, Education, and Conservation (Jane Goodall 3). She has been an influence on many, especially women. She has proven with patience and some determination that simple discoveries can be altering to society.