Reflect

The ethologist Jane Goodall opened our hearts and minds to chimpanzees. As an explorer in the forest, she overturned our assumptions about primates. By observing chimpanzees strip leaves from twigs and hunt for termites, she proved that nonhuman animals make and use tools, which was a behavior previously thought to belong only to humans. Goodall witnessed chimpanzees express rich emotional lives, including affection, grief, and play. Beloved for her work, her gift to our understanding began with curiosity. She was open to what she might learn, patient in her observations, and trusting with her primate friends. Goodall did not hold the certainties that others prescribed. As a result, she gained deeper knowledge.