Dr. Jane Goodall has passed away at the age of 91. She leaves behind a legacy of animal advocacy, including helping review the concept and providing guidance on the creation of Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park. Disney offered a statement on Dr. Goodall’s passing.
Disney Offers Statement on Passing of Dr. Jane Goodall
News of Dr. Goodall’s passing was posted to the Jane Goodall Institute social media pages.
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. 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.
Disney offered the following statement about the passing of Dr. Goodall.
The Walt Disney Company mourns the loss of Dr. Jane Goodall, a pioneering conservationist, renowned primatologist, and tireless advocate for animals and the environment. Through her work, she encouraged generations of people to believe in their ability to make a meaningful difference for our planet.
“Dr. Jane Goodall, Dame of the British Empire, UN Messenger of Peace, and founder of the Jane Goodall Institute, had a profound impact on our world and all those who inhabit it,” said Bob Iger, Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company. “She was a powerful advocate for protecting wildlife and wild places, and her extraordinary career has proven to be an inspiration for generations of people, including so many of us at Disney.”
Iger continued, “We were proud to collaborate with her on a number of important projects, including the instrumental role she played in the creation of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. I’ll never forget when she was asked by a reporter where in the world she would choose to live if she were an animal, her response was Disney’s Animal Kingdom, because that’s where animals get the best care. Her legacy will live on, both in the movement she helped shape and the many people she inspired.”
“We are so grateful to Dr. Goodall for championing our work at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Florida,” said Josh D’Amaro, Chairman, Disney Experiences. “As one of our earliest and most trusted advisors, she became a regular fixture at the park over the years and helped us tell the story of nature with care and authenticity. She will be deeply missed and never forgotten.”
Throughout Disney’s history, Dr. Goodall played a vital role as a trusted advisor and collaborator. She served as a long-time National Geographic Explorer, consulted on Disneynature films, and provided invaluable guidance in the creation of Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
In recognition of her contributions, she was honored with a plaque on the Tree of Life, alongside a carving of David Greybeard—the first chimpanzee to approach her during her groundbreaking research at Gombe National Park in Tanzania.
Over the years, Dr. Goodall was a cherished guest at milestone celebrations for both Disney’s Animal Kingdom and the Disney Conservation Fund (DCF). The DCF has proudly supported the Jane Goodall Institute, providing more than $6.5 million to her expansive efforts to protect chimpanzees and their habitats, and to connect young people with the wonders of nature.
Dr. Goodall’s legacy is one of hope and of empathy and it will endure in the hearts of those committed to building a brighter, more unified future for our planet.
Former Imagineer Joe Rohde also offered a comment about the passing of Dr. Goodall via his social media.
I just received a phone call from a mutual friend that Jane Goodall has passed away. I saw her just a bit more than a week ago in Texas and she seemed as spritely as ever. More eloquent people than myself will have much to say about her life, her accomplishments, her legacy, and the place she occupied in the popular imagination.
Her public persona was so overwhelmingly compelling that it’s difficult sometimes to remember that she was just a person. But when you met with her, that is exactly what she was, a person, and that is what she wanted people to understand. “Just a person” can do amazing and impactful things. Just a little girl, fascinated by animals could break a whole series of societal norms and become an inspiration to millions and a political force for change at an international level.
Jane had an inexhaustible capacity for Hope. But she was very clear about what Hope was… Hope is action. If we are to remember her, it is through this. Those things that we hope for….they happen not because we wish for them, but because we do them. And we are many. So do not lose Hope because a great tree has fallen. Roots and Shoots are everywhere.
Dr. Jane Goodall’s Impact on Disney’s Animal Kingdom
In the ‘90s, when an idea was proposed for Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, Dr. Jane reviewed the concept and provided guidance, a trusted voice then and for years and years for Disney’s commitment to animals and conservation.
Her first visit to Disney’s Animal Kingdom was during the construction phase, and she returned to celebrate the grand opening. In gratitude for the meaningful role Jane played for the park and the world, Dr. Goodall was honored with a plaque on the Tree of Life, alongside a carving of David Greybeard, the original chimpanzee who first approached Jane during her first year at Gombe National Park in Tanzania.
Jane with the carving of David Greybeard on the Tree of Life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
In April 2006, Dr. Jane was one of five Disney Conservation Legacy honorees, receiving a $100,000 gift on behalf of the Disney Conservation Fund (DCF). Jane has returned several times since to celebrate both Disney’s Animal Kingdom and DCF milestones over the years, and even traveled to international Disney Parks to share her inspiring message of hope.
In 2012, the Jane Goodall Institute was the conservation partner for the Disneynature film “Chimpanzee,” and Jane served as an ambassador for Disneynature. That same year, Jane was an honoree at the Disney Kids and Nature Celebration, supporting the launch of a commitment that ultimately led to Disney helping to provide more than 35 million nature experiences to kids and families over the following five years.
Jane also helped launch Disney Planet Possible, a voice for a commitment to hope and optimism as Disney works to create a healthier planet for people and wildlife.
Since 2012, the DCF has proudly supported the Jane Goodall Institute’s Roots & Shoots program to connect kids with nature, engage them as community and environmental stewards, and empower them as future conservation leaders. Through this support, Jane and her team have brought more possibilities to life.
As Dr. Jane says, “What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”
In 1960, wildlife researcher Jane Goodall observed a wild chimpanzee as it carefully stripped a stick of its leaves and inserted it into a mound to fish for termites.
This discovery that non-humans could create tools opened a door to a previously unknown world of animal intelligence, and inspired Jane Goodall’s lifelong commitment to understanding these complex, amazing primates.
To honor Jane Goodall, this likeness of the chimpanzee she called David Greybeard was created in the Tree of Life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
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