How did Jane Goodall Die? Cause of death revealed

Legendary conservationist and animal welfare advocate Jane Goodall's cause of death has been revealed.

People Magazine has reported that Goodall, famous for her pioneering work with primates, died in her sleep at the age of 91. Her exact cause of death has been listed as cardiac arrest, a.k.a. cardiopulmonary arrest. Epilepsy was also listed on her death certificate.

Goodall's eponymous institute confirmed her demise in a statement on October 1, revealing that it happened during a speaking tour in L.A. Her body had been discovered in her bed earlier that same day.

"The Jane Goodall Institute has learned this morning, Wednesday, October 1, 2025, that Dr. Jane Goodall DBE, UN Messenger of Peace and Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute has passed away due to natural causes," they stated. "She was in California as part of her speaking tour in the United States. Dr. Goodall’s discoveries as an ethologist revolutionized science, and she was a tireless advocate for the protection and restoration of our natural world."

Jane Goodall's life and legacy explored:

Goodall was most renowned as a zoologist and anthropologist. She was born on April 3, 1934, in London, England, and in 1960, at the age of 26, she embarked on a trip to Gombe, Tanzania, intending to study chimpanzees.

She would eventually come to revolutionize the industry with her findings, long before she earned a PhD in ethology, the study of animal behavior, from the University of Cambridge. She is largely credited with learning the social hierarchies and hunting habits of apes, and was beloved for naming the chimps rather than numbering them.

She founded her eponymous institute in 1977, and it is now known as a prolific conservation NGO. She also launched the Roots & Shoots youth program, penned several books, served as the inspiration for numerous documentaries, and was even honored as a fame by Queen Elizabeth II in 2004.

Her demise came as a shock to the world, triggering an outpouring of tributes online. Former President Joe Biden also took to X to honor her:

"Jill and I are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Jane Goodall whose activism, vision, and message of hope mobilized a global movement to protect the planet. Above all, Jane taught us that when we search for humanity in the natural world around us, we discover it within ourselves. We are sending our love and strength to the Goodall family and everyone who was touched by her remarkable life of service," he penned on October 1.

Goodall leaves behind her son, Hugo, and three grandchildren.

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