Jane Goodall
In 1957 Jane Goodall was invited to visit Africa by an old school friend. At this time she was still working as a secretary, and the trip marked the start of a lifelong interest in these most human like of animals. Although not a university graduate, she still approached the famous anthropologist Louis Leakey, seeking an appointment as his assistant. She stayed until 1975, revolutionising research into primates during this time. Unlike the colleagues that went before her, she gave her research subjects names and got to know them better than anyone else had ever done.
She discovered that primates are capable of experiencing empathy, forming friendships, worrying and expressing joy. And it is thanks to her that we know that chimpanzees, like us, use tools to make their lives easier. Her tireless work to protect chimpanzees and their natural habitats, her contribution to our understanding of how similar people and primates are, and her efforts to interest children in the natural world earned her numerous accolades. Dame Jane Goodall – a true grande dame of the natural world.