Jane Goodall's Reason for Hope

New Optimism for Wild Chimpanzees

Apr 2, 2008

In the final of a three-part series, Jane Goodall's continued activism brings the plight of wild chimpanzees into the spotlight and brightens their future

Welcome to Gombe

National Geographic's film Among the Wild Chimpanzees (1984) aided Jane Goodall's efforts to educate the public and make them fall in love with "her" chimps. The film documents Goodall's over forty years of study at Gombe. It also provides an intimate window into the daily lives and relationships of the apes that Jane first named and then came to love. Credited with the longest continuous research of any mammalian population, Jane's research brings wild chimpanzees to vibrant life through this documentary. And, she welcomes us to meet each individual while challenging our preconceived notions about great apes. There are no King Kongs here. Chimpanzees are portrayed as sentient, emotional beings that rely on close-knit bonds, reassuring physical touch, and carefully maintained social networks of family and friends. Particularly poignant is the bond between one tolerant, loving chimpanzee, Flo, and her rambunctious infants. In the film, Jane credits Flo with teaching her how to nurture and care for her own son. Besides complex social relationships, the film also captures a rare and previously unknown chimp behavior - tool making.

Labor of Love

With a National Geographic documentary, many TV interviews, and vast public support flooding in, Jane took the opportunity to publish several books based upon her extensive research. Culminating with her widely acclaimed The Chimpanzees of Gombe: Patterns of Behavior, her books have had a massive impact on public awareness of chimpanzees. In a study by A.M. McClair and W.C. McGrew, they analyzed scientific textbooks nationwide and found that her books were cited three times more than any other researchers who work outside Gombe and five times more than other Gombe researchers. McClain and McGrew argue that "if the coverage of wild chimpanzees research in introductory science textbooks is an indication of the impact of the research in science, Jane Goodall is the most influential research worker on wild chimpanzees."

Reason for Hope

In her video Reason for Hope: A Spiritual Journey (1999), Jane chronicles several weeks of the exhaustive public speaking schedule that has now become normal to her. By reaching out to people all over the world, she has dramatically increased respect and concern for chimpanzees. In particular, she has reached out to Africans to educate them and increase their appreciation for the local wildlife that they most directly impact. Around the globe, she has introduced the world to Gombe's chimpanzee population and provided a backdrop through which the public can view individual chimps in very personal, moving ways. Annually, she grosses $150,000 giving public lectures. This money goes directly to the defense and protection of the animals that she knows so well. In much the same way that she initially approached her subjects in Gombe, Jane continues to win over the hearts and minds of her readers and audiences. Reason for Hope: A Spiritual Journey sums up her impact most fittingly noting that "her legacy is one person at a time." Want to read more about Jane? Then, check out Jane Goodall's Roots in Gombe and Jane Goodall's Chimp Crusade.