What Jane Goodall said in her last video message before her death

Jane Goodall died Wednesday at age 91. 

Jane Goodall’s final message before her death was one for youth.

The famed primatologist, ethologist and conservationist, who was known for her groundbreaking work with wild chimpanzees in Tanzania, died Wednesday from natural causes, according to a statement from the Jane Goodall Institute shared on social media. She was 91.

Goodall was in California at the time of her death and was scheduled to speak in Pasadena to 1,000 students from Altadena, Pacific Palisades and dozens of Los Angeles schools.

Jane Goodall speaks onstage at the Bloomberg Philanthropies Global Forum 2025 at The Plaza Hotel, Sept. 24, 2025, in New York.
Bryan Bedder/Getty Images

At the event, Erin McCombs of the Jane Goodall Institute took the stage and announced the news of Goodall’s death. A video message Goodall had recorded ahead of the event was then played, in which Goodall shared her thoughts on the environment and youth empowerment.

“I’ve been working on trying to make this a better world for animals, people, and the environment, flat out, since 1986, and one of my greatest reasons for hope in this battered world is the youth,” she began. “I think bringing together a lot of young people, who are, truly, have leadership material so they can exchange ideas and in some cases boost each other’s morale — cause sometimes it’s really tough, really difficult — so a gathering like this, I think, is a very important way ahead.”

Goodall also shared how she was inspired to start the youth program Roots & Shoots in 1991 to help mobilize young people and empower them to lead change in their communities.

“I think that very many of the students that I’ve met here are already taking action, and they, hopefully, by being with their peers, they’ll be inspired to take greater action,” she said in her video message. “And what do they need to take action? They need a group of likeminded people who believe in themselves, who believe in the project that’s really important and then see the difference that they make.”

She continued, “I think we’re creating a critical mass of young people who understand that, yes, we need money to live, but we mustn’t live for money in and of itself. Money itself is good if you use it for good, but if you’re just trying to get more and more money, to get more houses, more cars, all this sort of thing, that’s where it’s gone wrong. This is what’s led to this unsustainable lifestyle.”

Goodall’s final advice for others was about being mindful in their everyday lives.

“Think about our ecological footprint,” she said. “I think the … key thing is to realize that every day on this planet, you make a difference, and if you start thinking about the consequences of the small choices you make — What you buy? Where did it come from? How was it made? Was there child slave labor [involved]? Did it help the environment? Would you eat it if it didn’t involve cruelty to animals? — you start thinking like that, and millions of people around the world thinking like that, then we start to get the kind of world that we cannot be too embarrassed to leave to our children.”

Tributes pour in for Jane Goodall

Following the news of her death, many took to social media to pay tribute to the legendary zoologist.

Prince William shared a personal tribute to Goodall on social media, writing, “Her boundless curiosity, compassion and pioneering spirit transformed our understanding of the natural world. She challenged us all to make a difference and inspired me and countless others to work to protect our planet. Jane Goodall made a difference.”

William’s younger brother, Prince Harry, and his wife, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, remembered Goodall by sharing a memory of her with their son, Archie.

“Dr. Jane Goodall DBE was a visionary humanitarian, scientist, friend to the planet, and friend to us. Her commitment to changing lives extends beyond what the world saw, and also to what we personally felt,” Harry and Meghan said in a statement. “She held our son, Archie, when he was first born, and showered love and care to those who were privileged to know her. She will be deeply missed.”

Former first lady of California Maria Shriver was among the first to pay tribute to Goodall.

“Jane Goodall was a legendary figure and a good friend,” Shriver wrote on X. “I admired her, learned from her, and was so honored to get to spend time with her over the years. She stayed at her mission and on her mission. She changed the world and the lives of everyone she impacted. The world lost one of its best today, and I lost somone I adored. ♥️.”

Talk show host Jon Stewart also took to X, writing, “Jane Goodall was just the best….damn.”

On X, Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shared a photo of him and Goodall planting a tree, writing, “Heartbroken to hear of Dr. Jane Goodall’s passing. She was a pioneer whose research and advocacy reshaped our understanding of the natural world.”

“Her wisdom and compassion will live on in every act of conservation,” he added. “All of us who were so greatly inspired by her will miss her deeply.”

In a lengthy Instagram post, Leonardo DiCaprio called Goodall a “hero for the planet, an inspiration to millions, and a dear friend.”

“Jane Goodall devoted her life to protecting our planet and giving a voice to the wild animals and the ecosystems they inhabit,” the “One Battle After Another” star said. “Her groundbreaking research on Chimpanzees in Tanzania transformed our understanding of how our closest relatives live, socialize, and think—reminding us that we are deeply connected not only to Chimpanzees and the other great apes, but to all life.”

He added, “My deepest condolences to her family.”

Jane Fonda also took to Instagram to remember Goodall and said her “heart breaks at the news that the brave, heartful, history-making Jane Goodall has passed.”

“Through her work with chimps, she did more than any human being has, to let us understand the richness of animal lives: their intelligence, skills, unique personalities, use of tools, empathy, suffering when one of theirs was killed,” she wrote. “I loved her very much. I think the best way we can honor her life is to treat the earth and all its beings like our family, with love and respect. ❤️”

In a separate post, Hillary Clinton wrote, “For over 60 years, Jane Goodall was a force for research about our precious planet—and climate change action to protect it—while breaking glass ceilings along the way.”

“I’ll so miss her courage and commitment to help expand what we know about our world and preserve it for the generations to come,” she added.

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