I Learned So Many of My Most Important Life Lessons From Jane Goodall

"Jane Goodall's death at 91 on Wednesday marked the end of a truly extraordinary life. She made discoveries that upended her field and fundamentally changed the human understanding of our closest animal relatives. She inspired generations of conservationists and researchers, and sparked a global fascination with chimpanzees and their fragile habitats. And there is perhaps no person whose life and work was so integral to my own political development, and in particular my feminist politics."

"You may have heard of the Horse Girl: the adolescent female obsessed with beasts of the equine variety, the girl who watches National Velvet on repeat and begs her parents for riding lessons. But there is also the Primate Girl: she who is fascinated by monkeys and apes, who dreams of South American jungles and African savannas, who invariably lists "primatologist" in response to any "what do you want to be when you grow up" question."

Jane Goodall died at 91, leaving a legacy of transformative discoveries that altered scientific understanding of chimpanzees and primate behavior. Her work inspired generations of conservationists and researchers and generated worldwide fascination with chimpanzees and their vulnerable habitats. Many individuals who grew up captivated by primates adopted a Primate Girl identity, imagining careers in primatology and dreaming of jungles and savannas. Childhood attachments to stuffed primates were common, with named favorites creating strong emotional bonds. One anecdote recalls giving a beloved chimp toy, Walter, to a visiting boy and feeling genuine pain at the loss.

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