Dr. Jane Goodall’s journey to Gombe nearly 60 years ago to study wild chimpanzees may seem like a simple story, but it was the result of a lot of hard work and dedication. Many details of the path Jane took to get to Gombe are often eclipsed by her groundbreaking discoveries and subsequent activism, but they paint a larger picture of determination, curiosity and the importance of mentors. Jane’s passion for wildlife was a key driver motivating her to go to Africa to study and write about them. While visiting a friend’s farm in Kenya in her early twenties with no prior experience, Jane was lucky enough to have…
Author: Renuka Surujnarain
Renuka Surujnarain
Renuka Surujnarain is a rising junior from CUNY Queens College in New York City working on the Community Engagement Team at JGI as an intern this summer. In school, she is pursuing a B.A. in Neuroscience and a minor in Biological Anthropology. She has experience in digital communications and has participated in primate behavioral research through her home university. What keeps her motivated: understanding that relaying scientific information to the public in creative and engaging ways can help support harmonious relationships between humans, nature, and the environment.
When Jane Goodall first witnessed Gombe chimpanzee David Greybeard fishing for termites by manipulating blades of grass in 1960, the line between humans and other animals suddenly became blurry. Tool use was no longer uniquely human, leading Dr. Louis Leakey, Jane’s mentor, to famously say, “Now we must redefine tool, redefine man, or accept chimpanzees as human.” We know that chimpanzees are our closest cousins in the animal kingdom, sharing 98.6% of our DNA. Chimpanzees are also known to exhibit remarkably human-like behaviors, such as grieving over the loss of a loved one, generating strategies to thrive in social groups, and even learning sign language. But what allows us…
Share this:
Dr. Jane Goodall started research at Gombe Stream National Park in 1960, and the discoveries made by Jane and researchers who followed have redefined our understanding of and relationship to chimpanzees as our closest living relatives. The legacy she left at Gombe continues today through JGI and other institutions thanks to the efforts of scientists and researchers from around the world. One such Gombe scientist named Dr. Elizabeth Lonsdorf researches the incredible intricacies of primate social structure, development, behavior, and health. Lonsdorf first became affiliated with JGI while completing her Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution and Behavior at the University of…
