Interest and passion for something bring the interplay of nature to make a person acquire what they always wanted to achieve in the world. Jane Goodall has been passionate about studying wildlife since childhood due to her inspiration from the book “Dr. Dolittle.” Jane saved money to travel to Africa to meet her friend, where he met Dr. Leakey, an anthropologist and paleontologist who studied animal bones and fossils to understand the origins of humankind. After meeting Dr. Leakey, Jane observed the study on the animals, intending to become a researcher in the same field as Dr. Leakey. Dr. Leakey offered Jane a job as the secretary, and she became closer to him and his research (Source 1). Jane always portrayed interest in pursuing animal research and enhancing her understanding. Dr. Leakey encouraged jane to pursue further studies in the same field, and she got a degree from the University of Cambridge.
Jane was working in the forest with Dr. Leakey when her interest in pursuing chimpanzees as the main research in animals was pushed. It was in the forest where Dr. Leakey and Jane stayed and did their research, and she found interest in one of the chimpanzees, David Greybeard (Source 1). David Greybeard, the chimpanzee, used tools to find food in the forest and eat as human beings used tools. Her observation of a chimpanzee using tools to obtain food was a revolutionary scientific discovery bringing her to the public’s attention. The breakthrough gave Jane recognition by Dr. Leakey and the rest of the world, which was a major achievement for her career, and he used the fame to fight for the conservation of animals and their habitats. Also, Jane’s discovery that chimpanzees used tools to gather food was a breakthrough for Dr. Leakey since he now wanted to redefine tools and man or argue that man and chimpanzees were not different.
Jane was the only female researcher conducting her research in Tanzania and strived to blend in with the male researchers to find answers. Jane blended in with the environment to be a silent observer and conduct her research on the topic by observing what the male researchers were doing in the research. However, Jane continued to research the study of the analysis of the behavior of chimpanzees and determine their similarities with human beings. A major similarity in Jane’s study was that chimpanzees had emotions and complex social behaviors (Source 2). Since chimpanzees had emotions, they communicated with the rest of them as human beings did through kissing. Also, eating habits were notable in relation to that of human beings. The chimpanzees used tools to hunt their food, which was crucial in determining their relationship with human beings. Jane also discovered a relationship between the brain and reasoning of the chimpanzees and that of human beings. The findings on the chimpanzees changed the perception of human beings and the chimpanzees.
Another of Jane’s breakthroughs in the research was the relationship between Flo, a female chimpanzee, and her children. How Flo treated her babies was similar to human beings in several ways. The relationship between Flo and her babies was crucial research in Jane’s work, which was studied for more than 60 years as the “F” family, the world’s longest-continuing wildlife research project (Source 2). Jane and her work were made known to millions through her appearance in National Geographic magazine. Popularity and fame were crucial in the fight to conserve chimpanzees’ habitats in different parts of the world. Dr. Goodall’s focus expanded to conservation as she realized the destruction of chimpanzees’ habitats. Dr. Goodall set up organizations to bring awareness and promote change in conservation efforts. The Jane Goodall Institute now has a wide array of global programs focused on conservation and primate study.
Jane Goodall is known for her research work with chimpanzees and her efforts to raise awareness about their treatment. She travels the world to give lectures, sign books and attend conferences to share her knowledge. Jane also inspired women from the rest of the world to continue pursuing a career in animal research since she had been successful. Jane established many institutions, such as the Jane Goodall Institute and TACARE, to continue passing the knowledge on preservation and the way human beings should be treating primates (Source 3). After continuous research on the conservation and treatment of primates, Jane was now more famous than when she studied chimpanzees in the past years. Jane believes every person can make a difference, referring to preserving animals and treating them correctly. The successful research of chimpanzees by Jane not only brought a breakthrough in their behavior in relation to that of human beings but also was a major achievement for her to discover that animals needed good treatment.
