Jane Goodall — Gombe

Dr. Louis Leakey decided that Jane Goodall was the unique individual he was looking for to begin a study of wild chimpanzees on the shore of Lake Tanganyika.

At first, British authorities resisted the idea of a young woman living among wild animals in Africa. But they finally agreed to Leakey's proposal when Jane's mother, Vanne, volunteered to accompany her for the first three months. In July of 1960, Jane and Vanne arrived at Gombe National Park in Tanganyika (now Tanzania).

Slow and Steady Progress

In the beginning, studying the chimpanzees of Gombe was not easy for Jane. The animals fled from her in fear; it took months for her to get close to them. With determination, she searched the forest every day, deliberately trying not to get too close to the chimpanzees too soon. On many days Jane observed the chimpanzees through binoculars from a peak overlooking the forest. Gradually the chimpanzees became accustomed to her presence.

Jane uncovered many aspects of chimpanzee behavior during her first years at Gombe National Park. In October 1960, she observed a chimpanzee using and making tools with which to fish for termites. This discovery challenged the popular definition at that time: "Man the Toolmaker."

So Like Us

Because of her research, we now know that chimpanzees hunt for meat, use tools, and have diverse personalities. The longer Jane's research continues, the more it becomes obvious how like us chimpanzees really are.

An endeavor that some people predicted would last only a few months has now become the longest field study of any animal species in their natural surroundings. Research at Gombe continues to this day, mostly by a trained team of Tanzanians and with the tremendous benefit of moral support from the Tanzanian government.

You can read about Jane's early days studying chimpanzees in her book, In the Shadow of Man. It's available in our online store.