Jane Goodall was a young girl with a dream.
As a 10-year-old in 1944, almost every adult suggested that she dream something else. “Girls don’t do those things,” they advised. Jane’s mother felt differently. She was the person Jane listened to. And it made all the difference in the world.
▲ Jane Goodall was born in London and grew up in Bournemouth, a town on England’s south coast. It was there that she developed her love of animals and the outdoors. Whether Jane was observing snails, caterpillars, or slugs, she was happiest when she was outside and exploring. The family had many pets, including a dog named Rusty, who was one of Jane’s favorites. In his own way, Rusty helped Jane set a course she would follow her whole adult life.
When Jane was just over a year old, her father gave her a stuffed toy chimpanzee. Family friends thought the toy would give Jane nightmares, but they were wrong. Jane loved the chimp and named it Jubilee. She carried Jubilee with her everywhere. Even after all these years, Jubilee sits on a chair in her home. ▶
▲ When she was four years old, Jane had the idea that she wanted to have the family pig become so used to her presence that it would take an apple core from her hand. But when she approached the pig, it would always move away. She spent seven days holding out apple cores to gain the pig’s trust. Finally, the pig took the apple. Jane’s patience had paid off – she had gotten the pig to accept her being near without being afraid.
◀ Jane was curious – sometimes to the point where she would worry her family. When she was about five, she went missing. It had been hours since anyone had seen her. Where could she be? What could have happened? Family members searched and searched. All the while, Jane had been in the family henhouse. When asked why, Jane said she wanted to find out how hens lay eggs. She had been in the henhouse waiting to see it happen.
◀ Sometimes Jane would climb a tree, find a branch to sit on, and read. Two of her favorite books were Tarzan of the Apes, by Edgar Rice Burroughs, and The Story of Doctor Dolittle, by Hugh Lofting. The main character in Tarzan is a human who has been raised by apes. Doctor Dolittle is the tale of a doctor who learns how to talk to animals. Stories like these got Jane dreaming about traveling and working with animals. “If you really want to do this crazy thing,” her mother said, “you’re going to have to work really hard, and take advantage of opportunities, and don’t give up. You will find a way.”
Jane Goodall’s family was not wealthy. Her parents could not afford to pay for college, but that didn’t discourage Jane. After high school, she went to secretarial school and then worked as a secretary. Later she worked for a filmmaking company. During those years, she saved as much money as she could to pay for a trip to Africa. ▶
When Goodall was 23, a friend from school invited her to spend a few months with her in Kenya, Africa. While there, Goodall contacted Louis Leakey, a well-known paleontologist. (A paleontologist is a scientist who studies fossils.) She hoped he could help her realize her dream of studying wild animals. At the time, Leakey was looking for someone to research chimpanzee behavior. He was impressed with Goodall. Thinking she might be the right person for his project, Leakey asked her to go on an archaeological dig with him and his wife to search for fossils of early humans. Goodall said yes. ▶
◀▲ As Leakey and Goodall worked together searching for fossils, he saw how methodical and serious she was. He was impressed with her work – all the more so because she was not a trained scientist. But Leakey felt this was a positive. Why? Because she had no pre-set ideas about chimpanzees that might influence her observations or her work. That’s when he decided she was “the one” for his chimpanzee project. In 1960, Goodall set out for Gombe Stream Game Reserve, in Tanzania (left).
Think Piece!
What words would you choose to describe Jane Goodall’s character? Why would you choose those words?