Jane Goodall [1 ed.] 9781477776865, 9781477776858

One of the most influential (and well-known scientific minds of the past century, Jane Goodall rose to fame through her

231 41 12MB

English Pages 114 Year 2014

Report DMCA / Copyright

DOWNLOAD PDF FILE

Recommend Papers

Jane Goodall [1 ed.]
 9781477776865, 9781477776858

  • 0 0 0
  • Like this paper and download? You can publish your own PDF file online for free in a few minutes! Sign Up
File loading please wait...
Citation preview

Published in 2015 by The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. 29 East 21st Street, New York, NY 10010 Copyright © 2015 by The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. First Edition All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Hand, Carol. Jane Goodall/Carol Hand. pages cm.—(Great science writers) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-4777-7685-8 (library bound) 1. Goodall, Jane, 1934—Juvenile literature. 2. Primatologists—England—Biography—Juvenile literature. 3. Chimpanzees—Tanzania—Gombe Stream National Park—Juvenile literature. I. Title. QL31.G58H36 2015 599.885092—dc23 [B] 2013042195

Manufactured in the United States of America

Introduction

4

Chapter One:

Nature Girl

8

Chapter Two:

Chasing Africa 

18

Chapter Three:

Finding Her Calling

28

Chapter Four:

Becoming a “Legitimate” Scientist

42

Chapter Five: 

Juggling Two Worlds

53

Chapter Six: 

Documenting the Chimps of Gombe

67

Chapter Seven: 

Reaching Out from Gombe Timeline Glossary For More Information For Further Reading Bibliography Index

79 94 98 100 104 106 109

M

ost people associate the name “Jane Goodall” with chimpanzees—for good reason. Nearly singlehandedly, in her years of work in Africa and her writing for both scientists and nonscientists, Jane Goodall has stripped away the veil of ignorance and misinformation about the lives of these elusive animals. She studied chimps in their own habitat, getting as close to them as possible, watching them, and recording their behaviors. At first, she worked alone, but she had help from one particular chimp. Goodall arrived at Gombe National Park in Tanzania (then called Tanganyika) on July 14, 1960, to begin her chimpanzee observations. For the first few months, she could only watch them from afar. They 4

Introduction

Jane Goodall’s favorite childhood toy was a stuffed chimpanzee, Jubilee, named for the first chimp born at the London Zoo. Seventy-plus years later, she still has the original Jubilee.

5

6

jane goodall mistrusted this strange white ape and disappeared when she got too close. Goodall was patient and persistent, and eventually, she would no doubt have won over the chimps on her own. But one unusual chimp sped up the process. He was very calm and laid-back, less aggressive and less likely to bolt than the others. According to her book In the Shadow of Man, she named him David Greybeard because of his “handsome face and well-marked silvery beard.” From the Peak, Goodall’s high observation post, she watched the chimps through binoculars. Because she was alone and still, they began to get used to her presence. One day in late October, David Greybeard and two other chimps were feeding in a tree just below Goodall’s post. Instead of fruit, David was eating strips of a pink substance, while holding the body of a baby bushpig. David was eating meat! A few days later, she saw David by himself, poking a long grass stem into a hole in a termite mound. He pulled out the stem and carefully ate the termites clinging to it. Later, she saw David and Goliath, a large male, feeding on termites. Both used grass and vine stems to retrieve termites, sometimes bending them or biting off the ends. They also chose twigs and carefully stripped the leaves before using them. They were making and using tools! These two observations—of chimps eating meat and making tools—were new discoveries, never before seen in chimpanzees. They

Introduction justified Goodall’s early studies and helped her get funding to continue her research and writing. These observations began a long friendship between Goodall and David Greybeard. Sometime later, David came to feed on the palm fruits in the tree right above Goodall’s tent. When he finished eating, he climbed down and casually peered into her tent before wandering away. He returned every day, and one day, he snatched a banana from the camp table. Goodall began to leave bananas out. In succeeding weeks, David, sometimes accompanied by Goliath or other chimps, returned for these free snacks. Thanks to David Greybeard, Goodall was able to make up-close and personal observations of chimp behavior. Through her books and movies, she has conveyed these observations and given us a deeper understanding and appreciation of our closest relatives. .

7

CHApter one

Nature Girl

W

hen Jane Goodall was born, her parents didn’t know she would become a worldfamous ethologist before she was thirty. But looking back, her life’s journey follows a clear, determined path from early childhood that led directly to her adult calling.

Beginnings of a Behaviorist Valerie Jane Goodall was born on April 3, 1934, in London, England. Her father was Mortimer Herbert Morris-Goodall, an engineer turned race car driver, and her mother was Margaret Myfanwe Joseph MorrisGoodall, or Vanne (pronounced “Van”). Jane showed no interest in her father’s fast, noisy world. Instead, she explored the world of nature with her mother. Valerie Jane (or V.J.) showed an early fascination for 8

Nature Girl living things. She examined flowers, insects, and other life in the backyard of their suburban Weybridge home. At age eighteen months, she hid a handful of earthworms under her pillow. When she refused to give them up, her horrified nanny went to Vanne for help. Vanne explained that the worms would die out of the soil, so Jane helped her mother dig a hole and bury them in the garden.

Surviving the War On September 3, 1939, Great Britain entered World War II and Jane’s father enlisted. Then, her nanny married and left to start her own family. Vanne moved her daughters to her own mother’s home: the Birches, in Bournemouth, near the English Channel. Jane loved the large, redbrick house with its enclosed, overgrown back garden. For the rest of her childhood, she lived at the Birches with her mother, sister, grandmother Danny (a child’s pronunciation of “Granny”), and her two aunts, Audrey and Olwen (Olly). Most weekends, her uncle Eric, a London surgeon, came to visit. Jane was five when the war began and eleven when it ended. Many soldiers, including some Americans, camped at Bournemouth on their way to the fighting. They befriended the local children. When the family heard sirens, they dashed to their

9

10

jane goodall

Throughout World War II, families remained ready to run to the nearest air raid shelter in case of attack. Here, a family wears gas masks during a drill.

home air raid shelter and huddled there until the danger passed. Rationing was required—everyone needed coupons to buy food, clothing, and gasoline. Many items were unavailable. Even now, Goodall wastes nothing; she dresses simply, eats little, and reuses whatever she can. The war introduced Jane to the horrendous violence and destruction of which humans are capable. Throughout the war, she heard and read snippets of information. But in the last months, photos of Nazi

Nature Girl

Jane’s First Field Study

On Jane’s fourth birthday, her sister Judy was born. When Jane was five, her father moved the family to France to be closer to European racing centers. He also wanted his daughters to learn French and be educated there. But only months after they arrived, World War II broke out in Europe. They quickly returned to England to live with Morris-Goodall’s mother, “Danny Nutt,” on her farm in Kent. At the farm, Jane loved to collect eggs. But she wondered how eggs were laid. Where on a hen was an opening large enough for an egg to come out? She decided to find out. She first followed a hen into the henhouse, but the hen panicked and ran out. So, next time, she went in when the henhouse was empty. It was dirty, stuffy, and uncomfortable, but she crouched there quietly for hours, waiting. Finally, a hen came in and laid her egg. Jane watched the whole process. Excited, she crawled out and ran to tell her mother. By that time, five hours had passed. The whole family was looking for her, and her mother had called the police. Fortunately, Vanne understood Jane’s excitement, and rather than scolding her, listened to Jane’s story of her discovery—her first completed field study.

11

12

jane goodall death camps began to appear in the news. Although only eleven, Jane saw them—her mother never censored her reading material and felt it important not to shelter her from harsh realities. Jane never forgot those chilling Holocaust photos. As she grew up, she found solace in nature and dedicated herself to promoting kindness to all living things—both human and animal. Just after the war, Jane’s parents divorced. The girls’ everyday lives changed little; their father had already been gone for years. Her parents remained friends, and Jane occasionally visited her father in London.

Reader, Writer, Schoolgirl Jane attended Uplands private school in Bournemouth, graduating in 1962. She was a good student and did well in subjects she liked but was not motivated to study subjects that didn’t interest her. She hated the regimentation of school. Even more, she hated being cooped up indoors when she could have been outside exploring nature. Although impatient with school, Jane loved to read and write. In bad weather, she curled up indoors in front of the fire. When it was warm, she climbed “Beech,” her favorite backyard tree, and spent many solitary hours reading high above the ground. (She loved Beech so much that her grandmother “deeded”

Nature Girl it to her on her fourteenth birthday.) Most of her childhood reading revolved around animals and nature, especially Dr. Doolittle, Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book, and the Tarzan series. These books all transported her in her imagination to Africa. Her family and close friends never doubted that one day she would go there. From the age of seven, she was

This illustration is from Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Stories, one of Jane’s favorite childhood books. She loved books set in Africa, especially animal stories.

13

14

jane goodall a prolific writer, scribbling letters, stories, poems, diaries, and nature journals. In her journals, she detailed the activities of local animals, including weasels, hedgehogs, and squirrels—her first practice for the detailed notes she would later take on African chimpanzees. In one school evaluation, her teacher reported that Jane’s English essays were very good but far too long for a ten-year-old.

Human and Animal Friends Outside school, if she wasn’t reading, writing, or daydreaming in the leafy solitude of Beech, Jane was busy with both human and animal friends. The sisters’ two closest friends, Sally and Sue Cary, visited the Birches during summers and holidays. The girls did everything together. Jane, the eldest, was the leader. She planned and directed all activities—whether footraces, games, plays, or hiding in the trees and hosing down unsuspecting neighbors. When she was twelve, she organized the Alligator Club, whose activities included nature studies and secret midnight campfires. The girls constructed a “museum” with exhibits of seashells, feathers, stuffed birds, and a human skeleton from Uncle Eric’s medical school days. They charged admission and gave the proceeds to a local society that rescued old horses. When Sally and Sue went home, Jane

Nature Girl

Teenage Jane In her teenage years, V.J. (who had never liked the name Valerie) began to call herself Jane. She has been Jane ever since. (In his article “Being Jane Goodall,” David Quammen says, “everyone calls her Jane; there is no sensible way not to call her Jane.”) Her interest in animals continued, but her reading tastes broadened to include romantic and mystery novels, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, W. H. Hudson’s Green Mansions, and other authors from William Shakespeare to Mark Twain. She considered most of school irrelevant to real life but did enjoy her biology and English literature classes. Eventually, she received recognition for her writing skills. In both of her last two years of high school, she won the school’s McNeile Essay Prize. During her last year of high school, Jane mourned the coming loss of her free, happy childhood and the necessity of entering the adult world and making a living. No one outside her family understood her obsession with going to Africa to study animals. Her high school career adviser was appalled at such a “bizarre” idea. She suggested a compromise: since Jane also loved dogs, she could learn photography and earn a living taking photos of people’s pets. Jane was not tempted. She realized she could not go to Africa immediately, but she would find a way. Africa was her future.

15

16

jane goodall

Nature Girl periodically sent them copies of the “Alligator Letter,” a newsletter she mostly wrote and edited herself. Throughout childhood, she kept a small menagerie that included, at various times, caterpillars, a “slow-worm” (legless lizard), “racing snails,” guinea pigs, a hamster, and a canary. Jane cared for (and named) all of them. Most important was Rusty, a black spaniel mix owned by the people who ran the hotel next door. Rusty spent every day with Jane. She quickly discovered his intelligence and taught him tricks. They played games and went for walks. Jane credited Rusty with much of her research success at Gombe. In Meg Greene’s biography, Jane says, “Rusty the dog taught me that animals have personalities, minds and feelings of their very own.” As a child, Goodall always kept a changing menagerie of many kinds of pets. Among them were guinea pigs, like this one.

17

CHApter two

Chasing Africa

I

n the summer of 1952, Goodall had just graduated from high school. Her only desire was to live in Africa where she could study and write about animals. But lacking money, college, or job prospects, she saw no way to realize her dream. Her mother suggested secretarial school. A secretary could get a job anywhere, she said, even Africa. So, with her father paying tuition, Goodall attended Queen’s Secretarial College outside London from May 1953 through April 1954. She did well and developed good typing, shorthand, and bookkeeping skills. However, her final report described her as “quite immature and not really ready for responsibility.” Her carefree attitude and her desire to be a writer did not impress her teachers. Biographer Dale Peterson reports, they felt that “in time [she] could be expected to jettison that childish fantasy and settle down to a proper career 18

Chasing Africa

19

Although Goodall took her secretarial studies seriously, she preferred spending weekends with her friends, doing outdoor activities such as boating and hiking.

and life.” They concluded she “will eventually make a good secretary.”

Goodall as Secretary Goodall had no love of secretarial work, but during the next two years, she settled down to a “proper” life. At first, she worked for her Aunt Olly, typing and filing reports. Olly was a physiotherapist who worked with people suffering from disabling illnesses such as polio,

The Twin Towers of All Souls College, Oxford University, were part of the wonderful architecture that Goodall appreciated, even though her job in the Registry Office bored her.

Chasing Africa cerebral palsy, and muscular dystrophy. Goodall was deeply affected by the patients, many of them children, who were so cheerful and patient in the face of paralysis and other adversities. The experience made her thankful for her own good health. She soon found a job as a secretary in the Oxford University Registry Office. The upside was the chance to live and work in Oxford, surrounded by interesting people and beautiful architecture. But she hated the job. At one point, she wrote to her family, “I have been miserable these last few weeks because of the boredom of this foul job.” Thanks to her Uncle Michael, her boredom lifted briefly just a month before her twenty-first birthday. She was one of a group of debutantes presented to the queen at Buckingham Palace on March 2, 1955. Goodall’s second (less boring) job was with a London film studio, Stanley Schofield Productions. Here, she chose music for documentary films. She also ran the projector, edited and spliced film, and even did makeup. Although she could not have foreseen it, this introduction to filmmaking also helped prepare her for her future career. Goodall also had an active social life. She was lively and outgoing, and as she matured, she became a beautiful, poised young woman. She embraced London life, taking an evening class in philosophy, attending concerts and films, and going to the theater and restaurants with her father. She was something of a flirt and attracted many young men, but although

21

22

jane goodall

jane’s Menagerie Later in her career, Goodall advised against keeping wild animals as pets because they are not adapted to live with humans. But on her first trip to Africa, she was young, naïve, and dazzled by the many “cute” and “sweet” African animals. She quickly accumulated a menagerie and had to move several times during her twenty months in Africa to accommodate them. Besides Levi the bush baby, she had a fish tank, a bat-eared fox (Chimba), a vervet monkey (Kombo), a mongoose pair (Kip and Mrs. Kip), a cocker spaniel puppy (Tana), a Siamese cat (Nanki Poo), a larger bush baby (Boozy), a hedgehog (Dinkie), and another monkey (Lettuce). Other dogs, snakes, giant spiders, and a rat visited from time to time. It was a chaotic household—and Goodall loved it. It was her first attempt to live among Africa’s wild animals.

she thoroughly enjoyed dating, no one man captured her interest for long. In most cases, her dates took the relationships much more seriously than she did. The worst part was trying to break it off—she hated hurting their feelings and agonized over how to remove herself gracefully from relationships.

Chasing Africa

23

Goodall as Letter Writer From the moment she learned to write, Goodall shared her life with family and friends. Whenever she left home, even as a child, she wrote letters. During secretarial school, and later during jobs, she described her work, activities, and surroundings in bubbly and dramatic detail (often with uncertain spelling). She detailed her apartments, roommates, boyfriends, and the concerts and films she attended. In one letter, she describes exploring Clarendon House, the neoclassical building housing the Oxford Registry: “[we went] up to the roof of the Clarendon Buildings—& gosh, it’s simply gorgeous up there, & one feels on top of the world. Then we started to explore the roof—the ‘atticy’ part, not outside. It was all dark & cob-webby, and there were great long Africa in My Blood is just one spaces with crumbling of Jane Goodall’s many books. boards underneath.” The book is an autobiography written completely in letters.

24

jane goodall Goodall’s letter writing also prepared her for her later African studies. Her detailed descriptions provided practice for her later precise descriptions of wild chimpanzees’ appearance, behavior, and surroundings. Goodall wrote so many letters that, by themselves, they almost tell her life story. Author Dale Peterson has collected and edited her letters into two autobiographical books. Africa in My Blood covers the early years of her life, and Beyond Innocence covers the later years.

Africa at Last! But, while Goodall threw herself into London life, Africa seemed no closer. Then, in 1956, she received a letter from a school friend, Marie-Claude (Clo) Mange. Clo’s family had bought a farm near Nairobi, in the Kenya Colony (then controlled by Great Britain), and Clo invited Goodall to visit. Although excited, she could not afford a trip to Africa. She quit her job with Schofield Productions, moved back home, and found a job as a waitress. She saved nearly all of her earnings toward her passage to Africa, hiding it under a corner of the living-room carpet. After five months of hard work, she had saved enough for her ticket. Vanne, afraid she would never see her daughter again, insisted she buy a round-trip ticket. She delayed leaving

Chasing Africa until early 1957, to spend a last Christmas with her family. On March 14, 1957, Goodall embarked on the passenger steamship Kenya Castle, on a three-week voyage to Mombasa, Kenya. She arrived in Mombasa on April 2, took a train to Nairobi, and on her twentythird birthday, April 3, she met Clo’s family at the train station and undertook a long and uncomfortable journey to the Manges’ farm. She saw a giraffe along the roadside. She was officially in Africa!

Turning Point Goodall immediately felt at home in Africa. She spent about a month with the Mange family and fit in very well with their upper-class society friends. She went riding, attended social events, and had boyfriends. During her first week, she and Clo visited a pet shop in town, where she couldn’t resist buying a tiny bush baby because “he was so sweet.” She named him Levi. But she did not want to impose on her friends for too long, and within a month, she had a job as a secretary in Nairobi. On May 24, 1957, Goodall met famed paleontologist and anthropologist Louis S. B. Leakey, then curator of the Coryndon, Nairobi’s natural history museum, and her life changed. Leakey and his wife, Mary, also an anthropologist, were studying the origins of humans in East Africa. At that time,

25

26

jane goodall they were searching for fossils in Kenya’s Olduvai Gorge. Leakey immediately hired Goodall as his secretary and assistant. He also invited her to spend the summer with his team at Olduvai Gorge, digging for fossils. The invitation was not automatic; it was subject to Mary’s approval. Mary was jealous (with good reason) of any young woman working with Louis. He had had affairs before, and she wanted to make sure Goodall didn’t become his next conquest. But Goodall had no interest in an affair—she only wanted to learn from Leakey. On the dig, she proved her mettle by working herself to exhaustion in the blazing sun without complaint. But, although she loved the Olduvai field experience, she wanted to work with living animals, not fossils. Leakey was interested in how humans had evolved. One of his research questions was, “Where does the animal end and the human begin?” He thought the answer to this question might lie in the study of great apes. Specifically, he wanted someone to study the chimpanzees of Gombe Reserve in Tanganyika (now Tanzania). He talked about this possible study frequently, including its dangers and difficulties. But he never offered Goodall the research position. Finally, frustrated, she went to him and said, “Louis, I wish you wouldn’t keep talking about it [the field study] because that’s just what I want to do.”

Chasing Africa He responded, “Jane, I’ve been waiting for you to tell me that. Why on earth did you think I talked about those chimpanzees to you?” Goodall was floored. She assumed she would not be qualified because she lacked training and academic credentials. But Leakey saw her lack of a degree as a benefit. He felt she would not be burdened with the preconceptions of established academics and could make fresh and unbiased observations. She had patience, a great love of animals, and the ability to live and work in primitive conditions. As far as Leakey was concerned, that was all she needed. Goodall wanted to begin immediately, but there were no funds, and Leakey needed to obtain permissions from both British authorities and local authorities in Kenya and Tanzania. He warned Goodall that preparations might take a few years. Also, in 1950s Africa, European women were not allowed in the Gombe forests alone, and Goodall would need a companion. Goodall returned to England at the end of 1958 to learn what was already known about chimpanzees, while Leakey worked on funding and permissions.

27

CHApter three

Finding Her Calling

A

fter Christmas at the Birches, Goodall moved into her father’s flat in London with her sister Judy. Thus began an eighteen-month sojourn in England, where Goodall prepared for the hopedfor chimpanzee study. Back in Kenya, Leakey sought funding for a project that mainstream scientists (and funding agencies) considered “bizarre.”

Preparing for Gombe In January, Goodall started a job at the film library of Grenada Television (the Zoo Television and Film Unit) at the London Zoo. She viewed films and cataloged the animal shots by species and behavior. Her boss was Ramona Morris, wife of Desmond Morris, the zoo’s curator of mammals, who would become a distinguished behaviorist and author of such popular books as The Naked Ape. Later, Desmond Morris said, 28

Finding Her Calling

29

Dr. Desmond Morris, renowned ethologist and human sociobiologist, was one of several scientists Goodall met at the London Zoo. Here, Morris introduces children to Josie the chimp.

“Ramona and I are always ashamed to admit that neither of us…saw Jane’s potential. We, none of us, realized that she was going to become the enormous success that she did later.” Goodall also embarked on an unofficial study of zoology with two of the day’s leading scientists—both friends of Leakey. She learned primate behavior from Osmond Hill, M.D., at the London Zoo and primate

30

jane goodall anatomy from John Napier, D.Sc., at the Royal Free Hospital. In her free time, she observed the zoo animals, although she was sad to see them caged. Her favorites were Alex the orangutan and Horatio, a tame giant hornbill. She also brought her own pets to work, including Kip the mongoose and Boozy the bush baby, both of whom she had brought home from Africa. Both Kip and Boozy appeared in films produced by the zoo. Meanwhile, Louis Leakey sought funding for the chimpanzee project. Before Goodall returned to England, her mother had agreed to be her companion, solving one problem. But no scientific organization would fund Louis Leakey and his family dig for fossils at Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania. Their discoveries of early humanoids changed our understanding of the origins of the human species.

Finding Her Calling

31

32

jane goodall the project. Leakey finally obtained funding from his friend Leighton Wilkie, an American toolmaker and businessman. Wilkie offered the grant in March 1959, but Leakey put off telling Goodall. The Leakeys again spent the summer in Olduvai Gorge, where Mary discovered a humanoid skull that seemed to be a new genus of the early human austrolopithecines. Louis named the find Zinjanthropus boisei, nicknamed “Zinj.” Later, the skull was identified as a new species from a known genus and renamed Austrolopithecus boisei. The Leakeys announced their find in the journal Nature, and Leakey presented their results at conferences in London and the United States. There, he met Melville Bell Grosvenor, president of the National Geographic Society. The society gave the Leakeys a grant in return for exclusive rights to publish articles on their research. This connection to National Geographic helped make the Leakeys famous and ensured their financial future. It would prove pivotal for Goodall’s career as well.

Detour Leakey notified Goodall of the grant money in midMay. Two weeks later, on May 31, 1960, she and Vanne flew to Nairobi. They expected to leave at once for Gombe, but the area was unsafe for travel.

Finding Her Calling

Secrets While Goodall was in London, she and Leakey each kept a secret. Leakey had met a young American woman, Catherine Hosea, and offered her the job he had promised Goodall. Hosea had an anthropology degree and, while Leakey personally did not find this important, he knew others did. What good would it do, he reasoned, if Goodall collected data on the chimpanzees but no one accepted her results? Hosea ultimately turned down the offer because Leakey insisted on a five-year commitment. Only then did he tell Goodall the project had been funded. Goodall’s secret was personal. In London, she had met and fallen in love with Robert Young, an actor. Their engagement appeared in the London newspapers on May 13, 1960—just as Leakey finally contacted her about the funding. When Jane and Vanne flew to Nairobi, Jane and Robert promised each other the parting was temporary, but their engagement soon ended.

Instead, Leakey sent them to Lolui, an island in Lake Victoria, where Goodall did a short study (June 12–29) of the island’s vervet monkey population. She watched the monkeys from before dawn

33

Before starting her chimpanzee work at Gombe, Goodall did a brief study of vervet monkeys on Lolui Island in Lake Victoria. The small monkeys taught her much about animal observation.

Finding Her Calling until sunset every day, taking one short break. She sat still the entire time and watched them through binoculars, with her notebook ready in her lap. She had to learn both how and what to observe. In her book In the Shadow of Man, she said, “The short study of the troop of monkeys taught me a good deal about such things as note-taking in the field, the sort of clothes to wear, the movements a wild monkey will tolerate in a human observer and those it will not.” Goodall was learning to do field research on her own terms, which were already different from what others had done. Instead of trying to understand the monkeys as a species, she described individual behaviors and interactions. This meant she had to recognize individuals, and predictably, as soon as she could recognize a monkey, she named it. This would lead to one of the first objections made by “legitimate” scientists against her work. Before Jane Goodall, field scientists always referred to their subjects by numbers, rather than names. Back in Nairobi, Goodall wrote a report for Leakey on the vervet monkeys, based on her notes and observations. Both considered the short study a test of Goodall’s ability to make useful scientific observations of animals in the wild. Goodall was very nervous until Leakey read her report and pronounced it “fine.”

35

36

jane goodall

Gombe at Last Jane and Vanne Goodall finally left for Kigoma, on the shore of Lake Tanganyika, on July 5, 1960, in a dangerously overloaded Land Rover. The trip normally took four days, but political unrest around Kigoma delayed them. Finally, they boarded the Kibisi, a Game Department launch, which took them to their camp at Gombe. With Jane and Vanne were Dominic Bandora, their cook, and David Anstey, a Game Department employee. Anstey introduced them to local African tribal leaders. Friendly relations with these natives would be vital to their work. They arrived at Gombe, on the shore of Lake Tanganyika, on July 14, 1960, and set up camp. Goodall officially began her chimpanzee observations on July 17. But she could not explore alone, as she had envisioned. Local fishermen feared the white women were spies plotting to keep the locals out of Gombe. Anstey settled the problem by hiring several locals, both to help Goodall and to keep track of her activities. One of them, Rashidi Kikwale, became a great asset. He helped Goodall learn to navigate the rough terrain and taught her to recognize and identify local animals by their tracks. Over time, the locals accepted her.

Finding Her Calling

Gombe The Gombe Stream Chimpanzee Reserve stretches for about 10 miles (16 kilometers) along the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika. The shoreline forms its western boundary. The eastern boundary is an escarpment about 2,500 feet (762 meters) high. Between these boundaries about fifteen streams tumble down into valleys and channels through a lush forested wilderness. Surrounding areas were once similar, forming a continuous habitat, but overuse has now stripped the land, isolating the Gombe reserve. Goodall described the Gombe Reserve as a paradise because of its beauty and because it teems with animals. Besides chimpanzees, Gombe protects olive baboons, several types of monkeys, and bush babies. The hippos, buffalos, and crocodiles present in 1960 are now gone, although a few leopards and serval cats still survive. Small mammals, including bush pigs and civets, abound, as do monitor lizards and snakes, including poisonous ones (puff adders, spitting cobras, and black mambas).

Vanne remained at camp while Jane watched the chimps. She collected and preserved insects and plants for the Coryndon Museum in Nairobi. But her presence soon became important to developing good

37

38

jane goodall relationships with the natives. Her brother, Jane’s uncle Eric, sent supplies, and she set up a clinic to give simple medical treatment to people from surrounding villages. She successfully treated a man with horribly infected leg ulcers using only hot water and antiseptic. After this, her clientele grew steadily. Jane gave her mother most of the credit for establishing good relations with their African neighbors.

Tracking Chimps The first few months of the study were difficult and frustrating. Climbing was strenuous, and the chimps remained out of sight. Goodall located a hilltop area (the Peak) from which she could watch the chimps quietly with binoculars. The first chimps she discovered were feeding on the fruits of the msulula tree. The thick foliage hid them well and at first, all she could see were blurs of black as they moved up and down. In September, after a several-week bout of malaria, Goodall climbed to a high point to look for chimps and found three of them staring at her from only about 8 yards (7 meters) away. When she made eye contact, they paused and then disappeared. But shortly afterward, a large group of chimps appeared and fed from a fig tree directly below her. It was a breakthrough—the first time she could observe the

Finding Her Calling

39

chimps closely. After that, they came nearly every day. She observed, and when they left, she studied the debris they left behind and their nests in nearby trees. This was Goodall’s introduction to the Kasakela chimps, the group whose lives would soon become intimately familiar to people around the world. Goodall watched the chimps from dawn to dark nearly every day. She always carried a notebook and pen. As she sat hidden on the Peak or followed

Goodall’s Gombe chimpanzee study has documented the lives of several generations of Kasakela chimps. Here, in 2002, mother Fanni (Flo’s granddaughter) cradles offspring Fudge (left) and baby Fundi.

40

jane goodall chimps through the brush, she scribbled notes about what she saw. Back at camp, after a quick supper, she transcribed her notes of the day’s observations into a field journal. Sitting at a camp table and writing by the light of a kerosene lantern, she worked until about 10:30 every night updating her notes while her observations were still fresh in her mind. There were occasional visitors to the camp, including zoologist George Schaller and his wife, Kay, in October 1960. The Schallers had just completed a sixmonth study of gorillas in Rwanda. Schaller’s approach to field study was similar to Goodall’s (he even named the gorillas). Later, she commented that it was “really nice to talk to someone who really understood what I was doing, & why, & who didn’t think I was completely crazy.” Schaller told Goodall that, if she could observe chimps eating meat or using tools, her work would be justified—and shortly afterward, she observed both.

Hard Work Justified Goodall’s first major discoveries occurred in October and November. She saw David Greybeard eating meat and feeding it to a nearby female and, a few days later, using blades of grass as tools to obtain food from a termite mound. Dr. Leakey had specifically asked her to look for instances of tool use or tool making, so when she observed David Greybeard and

Finding Her Calling other chimps doing this, she notified Leakey immediately. He was very excited. He responded, according to Dale Peterson’s biography of Goodall, “Now we must redefine ‘tool,’ redefine ‘man,’ or accept the chimpanzees as human.” At first, Goodall’s major motivation for keeping her field journal was the need for further funding and for keeping Leakey informed of her progress. She sent him weekly copies of her journal entries. She knew significant progress would require years. But in the first five months, she had made two entirely new discoveries about chimpanzee behavior, and she was excited to share this information. She knew that, at some point, she would be able to turn her scribbled notes into presentations, scientific papers, and published books. Not all scientists accepted Goodall’s early results, however. Some said her observations could not be trusted because she was not a trained scientist. One even accused her of setting up the tool-making situation by training the chimps. But the controversy proved useful—Leakey was making Goodall’s work known. The National Geographic Society was impressed and offered her a grant to continue the study. Thus began a long and productive relationship.

41

CHApter four

Becoming a “Legitimate” Scientist

G

oodall visited Nairobi in December and was back in Gombe by mid-January 1961. Vanne had returned to England, but Dominic, the cook, had brought his wife and child to live at the camp, as did Hassan Salimu, the captain of Leakey’s cabin cruiser. As Goodall began to learn Swahili, she became part of the culture, and locals (as well as occasional outsiders) visited her camp.

A Turning Point That six-month period also marked a change in the chimpanzees’ attitudes toward Goodall. At first, they had been fearful, not allowing her within a hundred yards. Later, a few, such as David Greybeard, seemed to accept her presence. But other chimps showed episodes of aggression. As they became more accustomed to her, she spent less time observing them 42

Becoming a “Legitimate” Scientist

The wild, rugged Gombe Reserve is great for chimps but difficult for humans to navigate. To get close enough for observation, Goodall followed the chimps through the forest.

from the Peak and more time following them through the forest, getting as close as possible. Once, Goliath, the huge alpha male, threatened her by shaking branches in a tree just above her. She turned away, so as not to pose a threat, and discovered two other chimps on either side. She was surrounded. Terrified, she remained very still. She later said she expected to be torn apart. One chimp hit her in the head with a branch; a second charged her but then veered off. The chimps left, leaving Goodall trembling.

43

44

jane goodall On another occasion, when Goodall came too close to a mother and children, a male struck her in the head, knocking her down. He stared down at her for a moment and then walked away. Back at camp, she described the experience to Dominic and Hassan, who relayed it to the chief of a nearby

Chimpanzee “Rain Dance” The rainy season was miserable for chimps and humans alike, but one day, Goodall saw five male chimps do a very deliberate “dance” in the driving rain, while she and the female and immature chimps served as audience. The males, after reaching the top of a hill, charged down one by one, leaping at branches and ripping them off, waving them as they ran. They repeated this several times, sometimes leaping into a tree and hurling themselves down again, with or without a branch. They were usually silent and never touched each other. After the half-hour “dance,” the chimps climbed into the trees, glancing sidelong at Jane. The last to leave was Paleface, the group leader. He stood quietly with a sapling in his hand, staring back at her as he left. She wrote in her notes, “The actor taking his curtain call.” Because of the numerous glances the chimps gave her, she wondered if the dance was for her benefit.

Becoming a “Legitimate” Scientist village. The chief later told her that many Gombe residents believed she had magic powers because she suffered no harm in situations where others were injured or killed. The chimps remained aggressive for about five months. Then one day, Mike, an adult male, sat less than fifteen feet from Goodall eating quietly, treating her as just another chimpanzee. Finally, a turning point—in a year, the chimps’ attitude toward Goodall had progressed from fear through aggression to acceptance. She was now confident. In a letter to her family on the first anniversary of her arrival at Gombe, she said, “The challenge has been met. The hills & forests are my home. And, what is more, I think my mind works like a chimp’s, subconsciously.”

Becoming a Scientist The sponsorship of the National Geographic Society included an agreement to have an article about Goodall’s work published in the society’s magazine. But Louis Leakey did not want Goodall’s study to be just an exotic story for the popular press. He was determined to have her research accepted by the scientific community. To do this, she needed to become a “legitimate” scientist, with credentials accepted and respected by other scientists. Leakey discussed Goodall’s situation with Cambridge University. Based on his reputation

45

46

jane goodall and Goodall’s accomplishments during her first months of fieldwork, the university agreed to admit her as a doctoral candidate in ethology. She was one of few students ever admitted to a doctoral program without first receiving an undergraduate degree. Goodall left Gombe and entered Cambridge for her first term in January 1962. For the next three years, she alternated her time between Cambridge and Gombe. She was impatient with formal study, and she missed the chimpanzees. But, under the tutelage of Professor Robert Hinde, she would develop the polished thinking and writing style that gave her accounts of chimpanzee behavior the scientific validity required. She also retained her own unique style and storytelling ability, which made her an immediate success writing about her work for the general public.

Learning Ethology Before entering Cambridge, Goodall had never heard the word “ethology.” This relatively new science developed in the early twentieth century through the work of three great behaviorists—Karl von Frisch, Konrad Lorenz, and Nikolas Tinbergen. Von Frisch developed the art of asking questions about animal behavior. Lorenz was highly imaginative but impatient with details. Tinbergen preferred detailed analysis; he studied his subjects as a hidden observer and tested his questions through

Becoming a “Legitimate” Scientist

47

experimentation. Like Goodall’s approach, Lorenz’s model of animal behavior valued close contact, observation, and accepting each animal as an individual with a personality. However, by the 1950s, this method was giving way to Tinbergen’s more quantitative and objective approach. Goodall entered Cambridge with eighteen months’ worth of chimpanzee data collected in her handwritten field journals. This would form part of the “raw data” for her doctoral dissertation. She wrote up sections of this work and discussed them with Robert Hinde. At these conferences, Hinde critiqued her writing Goodall spent several years and data analysis. commuting between the highly civilized He pointed out environs of Cambridge University, flawed reasoning, where she obtained her doctorate in 1965, and the wilds of Gombe, where she studied chimps.

48

jane goodall places where she used “improper” behavioral terminology, and topics requiring further study. Goodall often became frustrated and confused, but she studied and rewrote until Hinde was satisfied. A major difficulty was transforming the raw data in her field journals, which described detailed behaviors of individual chimps, into scientifically acceptable, quantitative form. Hinde helped Goodall create an index of her data so she could enter it piece by piece and then summarize it. In a letter home, she wrote, “It gets rather depressing— the only things people here appreciate are graphs & statistics!” Hinde recognized that Goodall’s “narrative” method of data collection had the advantage of flexibility. It enabled the researcher to record unique or rare forms of behavior. But it was difficult to locate and summarize recurring behaviors. A check sheet or data-collection chart would enable a researcher to count the number of times individuals carried out common behaviors, for example, feeding or nest building. These data gave a picture of “typical” chimpanzee behavior. A check sheet would also enable other researchers to collect the same types of data as Goodall had. During the coming years, Hinde sent over one hundred researchers to Gombe to help collect data. Their check sheets provided a huge body of data on the chimps.

Karl von Frisch, famous for his studies on honeybee behavior, was one of three founders of the science of ethology. Later, Jane Goodall would greatly advance this field.

50

jane goodall

Goodall and the Scientific Establishment Goodall was already the world’s expert on chimpanzee behavior. Her eighteen months of field research far outstripped the second-leading expert in great apes (her friend George Schaller, whose gorilla study lasted six months). As she learned ethology and began to analyze her own data, she became a science writer. She learned to interpret and communicate her field results clearly and precisely to her scientific colleagues. During her first term at Cambridge, she presented papers at two scientific conferences, in London and New York. One paper was on chimpanzee feeding behavior, the other on nest building. Scientists were eager to learn about Goodall’s research, but interest did not always mean acceptance. Some fellow students considered her a fraud. Others considered her research superficial—a collection of stories and anecdotes rather than scientific research. In her first writings, Goodall concentrated on “typical” behaviors (for example, feeding and nest building) that defined chimpanzees as a species, but she preferred to focus on atypical behaviors— those that made individuals unique, such as David Greybeard’s friendliness. This led to a major problem with other ethologists, including Hinde. They accused her of anthropomorphism—attributing humanlike

Becoming a “Legitimate” Scientist characteristics to animals (a deadly sin among ethologists). Goodall describes the situation in Dale Peterson’s biography: “I was also reprimanded at Cambridge for ascribing personalities to the different chimpanzees—as though I had made up the vivid and unique characteristics of the various members of the Kasakela community! Only humans have personalities, I was told. Nor should I have been talking about the chimpanzee mind—only humans, said the scientists, were capable of rational thought. Talking of chimpanzee emotions was the very worst of my anthropomorphic sins.”

Finally, a Doctorate Goodall had several battles with Professor Hinde before he approved her doctoral dissertation. He strongly objected to her naming the chimps instead of giving them numbers, and the first time he read her manuscript, he crossed out the words “he” and “she” throughout and replaced them with “it.” Goodall eventually won both battles—her final dissertation referred to all chimps by both name and gender. She was angry about Hinde’s changes, but he was merely reflecting the bias of the time. Humans occupied a higher plane than animals. Humans were

51

52

jane goodall always “he” or “she” and “who” or “whom”; animals were always “it” and “that.” Humans have “children,” while other animals have “offspring,” and so on. This assumed superiority of humanity was (and is) deeply ingrained in human language, and scientists insisted on these distinctions. But Goodall respected the chimpanzees. She did not consider them inferior, and they were not her “test subjects,” but individuals who taught her. In the decades since (largely because of her work), this viewpoint has gradually been accepted. Further studies have shown that animals are capable of a wide range of intelligent behaviors, and that humans, rather than being separate, are part of a continuum of mental and social development in the animal kingdom. Finally, in 1965, Goodall completed her dissertation for Cambridge University, titled “Behavior of the Free-Ranging Chimpanzee,” and on February 9, 1966, she successfully passed her oral examination. Afterward, she waited nervously outside the exam room until Hinde emerged—she had not been sure she would pass. Now, she could sign her name with the prefix “Dr.” She finally had the academic credentials to be a “legitimate” scientist.

F

rom 1962 to 1965, while shuttling between Cambridge and Gombe, Goodall missed the chimpanzees terribly. However, she appreciated the importance of the degree and felt she owed it to Louis Leakey to obtain it. The chimpanzee study had evolved beyond an exciting opportunity to fulfill a childhood dream. It had become her life’s work and brought her increasing fame. She was writing more and more—academic papers, lectures and presentations, and popular articles. But even as Gombe became her home, circumstances conspired to pull her away from it.

National Geographic The National Geographic Society was eager to tell the story of the delicate young woman who lived with wild apes in the African jungle. It would capture the 53

CHApter five

Juggling Two Worlds

54

jane goodall public’s imagination, and it was a perfect fit for their mission of teaching people to understand and care about Earth. But getting high-quality photographs of Goodall and the chimps had proved difficult. Several people, including Goodall and her sister, Judy, had tried and failed to take photographs that met National Geographic’s standards. Goodall and Leakey worried that a stranger with camera equipment would frighten the chimps. Goodall feared losing the progress she had made in gaining their trust. However, she also understood the need to document her work. In the summer of 1962, Hugo van Lawick, a young Dutch photographer Close-up photos, such as this mother chimp grooming her baby, proved difficult to obtain in the wild. The first good photos, taken by Hugo van Lawick, required months of work.

Juggling Two Worlds

55

56

jane goodall recommended by Leakey, arrived at Gombe. National Geographic had hired him to obtain video footage and stills of Goodall and the chimps. Van Lawick was an inspired choice for the job. After becoming a wildlife photographer, he had sought out work in Africa. He had made a documentary of the Leakeys’ work at Olduvai Gorge. Because both Goodall and van Lawick were unmarried, National Geographic (following the prudery of the time) insisted that Goodall be chaperoned. Again, her mother Vanne came to the rescue, although van Lawick had been at Gombe for several weeks when she arrived. Van Lawick met David Greybeard on his first day, when David came into camp for bananas. He took van Lawick’s presence for granted, but the other chimps were less trusting. It took six weeks of following them, dragging his camera equipment, before van Lawick could get close enough to film. Again, David made the first move. The chimps had been stealing sweaty clothes and towels from camp and chewing on them, apparently enjoying the salty sweat. One day, while van Lawick was filming, David came up behind him and grabbed the shirt he was using as a lens cover. A tug-of-war ensued and the shirt split in two. Each party received half. The other chimps watched this encounter carefully, and after that, they accepted van Lawick and his camera.

Juggling Two Worlds Van Lawick stayed until November. He took still photographs and obtained enough film footage for a documentary, including film of the chimps making and using tools. One incident involved David and Goliath facing off with a baboon, who had entered camp looking for bananas. Scientists still recognize this footage as the best available film documenting aggression between chimpanzees and baboons.

Goodall’s Writing Career Blooms Goodall was writing in a frenzy. At Cambridge and Gombe, she was working hard on her dissertation and on shorter scientific articles, including the two she presented at conferences in 1962. She wrote a chapter titled “Chimpanzees of the Gombe Stream Reserve” for a book covering a Stanford University primate project. Finally, she wrote a 7,500-word article for National Geographic magazine to accompany van Lawick’s photos. The society wanted a popular rather than scientific writing style—a personal, first-person narrative with plenty of anecdotes. They were thrilled with her first draft. Editor William Graves described her work as “outstanding…not only for its great scientific value but for its sense of drama and poignancy. It combines

57

58

jane goodall startling scientific discovery with rare adventure and humor.” However, they felt Goodall was far too modest in describing her own accomplishments. National Geographic’s Leonard Carmichael wrote an introduction to the article, describing Goodall as a “modern scientific zoologist.” He emphasized the chimps’ power and Goodall’s “great personal risk” in living among them. In August 1963, the article appeared in National Geographic magazine. Titled “My Life Among the Chimpanzees,” it sold over three million copies and quickly made her known around the world.

Bananas, Love, and Marriage National Geographic sent van Lawick back to Gombe in the summer of 1963 to continue documenting Goodall’s chimpanzee studies. The lure of free bananas brought more David Greybeard, shown here with Goodall in 1965, was the first Gombe chimp trusting enough to visit the campsite. He couldn’t resist the free bananas!

Juggling Two Worlds than twenty chimps into the camp. Goodall intimately observed their daily interactions, and van Lawick obtained excellent close-up photos. New

59

60

jane goodall chimps included Flo, the troop’s best mother, her daughter Fifi (aged three and a half), and sevenyear-old son Figan. With the “Banana Club,” the number and quality of Goodall’s observations exploded. By this time, van Lawick and Goodall were more than colleagues. They were in love. When they left camp in early December 1963, they agreed to discuss marriage in January. But van Lawick couldn’t wait. On December 26, 1963, he cabled Goodall at Bournemouth, where she was spending Christmas with her family. The cable said, “WILL YOU MARRY ME STOP HUGO.” Jane Goodall and Baron Hugo van Lawick were married on Easter Sunday, March 28, 1964, at London’s Chelsea Old Church. Although no chimpanzees attended in person, they were definitely in everyone’s thoughts. A clay model of David Greybeard topped the wedding cake, and photos of Goliath, Flo, and Fifi had a place of honor at the reception. Louis Leakey sent a recorded message of congratulations. The National Geographic Society sent a telegram informing Goodall she had just received her second Franklin Burr Award for Contributions to Science, which included a $1,500 grant. The couple cut short their honeymoon to hurry back to Gombe. They were anxious to see Flo and her new son, whom they named Flint.

Juggling Two Worlds

The Banana Club As the “Banana Club” grew and baboons joined, fights and rock-throwing sometimes occurred, and occasionally Goodall and van Lawick felt threatened. Finally, they built a steel cage as a refuge if things got too rowdy. They also made a feeding box to control the number of bananas a chimp could receive—although several chimps quickly figured it out. Goodall fended off criticisms about the Banana Club. Leakey worried about the dangers. Other scientists criticized her for “taming” the chimps instead of watching them objectively. But Goodall was the only person who succeeded in studying chimps up close. Ecologically, her Banana Club mimicked a fruit-filled tree in the forest, much like the msulula trees where she had first watched chimps feeding. The chimps’ behaviors were even similar and certainly more natural than those of captive chimps.

Gombe Stream Research Center Changes were coming to Gombe. When the couple returned, they relocated the feeding station up the

61

62

jane goodall hill, separating the Banana Club from the main camp. This Ridge Camp made people safer, and the chimps were more at ease farther in the forest. Goodall and van Lawick moved their own tent to the new feeding area for continued close-up investigations and for privacy. The chimp study was progressing rapidly. Goodall now had two assistants to organize and type her notes and additional African staff to run the campsite. She and van Lawick had discussed forming a permanent research center at Gombe. The possibilities for further study were immense, and she knew it was not a job for one person, no matter how dedicated. She wanted to bring in other researchers, particularly graduate students, to study different aspects of chimp behavior. Impressed by Goodall’s work, the National Geographic Society provided funding for the first buildings, and the Gombe Stream Research Center opened in March 1965. The research center profoundly changed Goodall’s life. She had already made her reputation as a scientist and was considered a “mature” researcher. Her full-time chimp-watching days were over. She would have to raise money to keep the center running. She would be writing and lecturing around the world. From March 1965 through May 1966, she left Gombe and returned to Cambridge

Juggling Two Worlds to complete her final graduate work. She wrote a second article for National Geographic and completed the manuscript of her first popular book, which the National Geographic Society published in 1969 as My Friends the Wild Chimpanzees. The book was sold only to National Geographic Society members, not through bookstores, and had a limited impact. She also lectured in the United States and Europe. Meanwhile, in December 1965, National Geographic presented a television special, “Miss Goodall and the Wild Chimpanzees,” using van Lawick’s footage from Gombe.

A New Generation Other things were happening at Gombe, too. On March 4, 1967, the van Lawicks had a son. They named him Hugo Eric Louis van Lawick—Hugo for his father, Eric for Jane’s uncle, and Louis in homage to Louis Leakey, who had believed in Goodall when no one else did, and who had brought the couple together. “Little Hugo” quickly became “Grublin” and then “Grub,” a nickname that has lasted into adulthood. Goodall and van Lawick had watched Flo, the reigning female at Gombe, mother several children and were very impressed with her mothering skills. Flo was patient, loving, and very attentive. She

63

64

jane goodall

constantly hugged, caressed, and groomed her children. She played with them and disciplined them when necessary, but always with love. She obviously enjoyed raising her children. The van Lawicks vowed to follow Flo’s example when raising Grub. Goodall also observed her son’s development, just as she had the chimps’ behavior. In 1972, her observations resulted in Jane Goodall and Hugo van Lawick a children’s book met in the wilds of the Gombe Reserve, surrounded by chimpanzees, but they called Grub, the Bush married in March 1964 in London, Baby—illustrated, of surrounded by family and friends. course, with photos of Grub taken by his father. Goodall’s major focus now became her son, rather than the chimps. He was watched constantly because chimps had been known to attack small children.

Juggling Two Worlds There were also other dangerous animals in the area. When the adults were busy, Grub stayed in a large, brightly painted steel “cage,” where he could safely watch the world around him. As he got older, his mother introduced him to the chimpanzees. But he

Goodall and the Women’s Movement In the early 1970s, the women’s movement was growing in the United States and Europe, and many feminists saw Goodall as a role model. But during a U.S. lecture series in 1972, she squelched this notion. She described the chimps’ male dominance and female submissiveness as adaptive. If you’re looking for examples of women’s liberation, she said, chimps are not the animals to study. She also emphasized the importance of mothering, stating that her observations of Flo and other chimp mothers taught her “to honor the role of the mother in society.” She said motherhood, not career, was the most important aspect of human society. But she also argued in favor of government child care for mothers who had to work. Although many feminists considered Goodall a traitor to the movement, many mothers thanked her for giving them the courage to be stay-at-home moms.

65

66

jane goodall found them frightening. He much preferred the lake, and he loved swimming and fishing. The van Lawick’s child-rearing techniques had many detractors. Some people were shocked that they kept Grub in a cage, convinced this would result in “deep psychological wounds.” Others accused Goodall of raising a “feral child” because Grub ran naked around Gombe. But Goodall loved her son and made no apologies for mimicking chimp behavior in her mothering. One of the most important things the chimps taught her was the importance of mothering during the early childhood years. The chimp study began with a desire to better understand humans by studying the behavior of their closest relatives. How hypocritical would she be, Goodall asked, if she refused to apply what she learned from them?

A

s Goodall transitioned from full-time chimpanzee watcher to administrator, research coordinator, and world-renowned scientist, her life entered a new phase. She spent much more time writing and lecturing, and her two major books—In the Shadow of Man (1971) and The Chimpanzees of Gombe (1986)—form bookends to this phase of her life. Both books centered on the Gombe chimpanzee research. The first was a popularized account; the second was a complete scientific summary covering twenty-five years of research. When Goodall first began her research, she wanted to understand chimpanzee life and communicate that understanding. But eventually, she realized she had hidden herself away in Gombe. She had failed to see what was happening to chimpanzee populations—wild and captive—around the world. She felt an increasing urgency to protect chimpanzees 67

CHApter six

Documenting the Chimps of Gombe

After forming the Jane Goodall Institute, Goodall spent much of her time lecturing on chimpanzee conservation around the world. Here, she sorts slides before a 1982 lecture in Chicago.

Documenting the Chimps of Gombe and other animals and ecosystems from the growing ravages of human civilization.

Chimp Changes During these years, great changes took place among the Gombe chimps. Babies were born and, inevitably, deaths occurred. Because chimps caught most of the same diseases as humans, Goodall worried Gombe visitors would spread disease among the group. That is probably what happened with the 1966 polio epidemic. Six chimps died and many were permanently disabled. A flu epidemic in early 1968 took perhaps the saddest toll, with the loss of David Greybeard. Goodall mourned for him as she had for no other chimp. Old Flo had a new baby, Flame, in late 1968. The infant died of flu a few months later. In August 1972, Flo herself finally died. Goodall kept vigil over Flo’s body the first night, both to honor Flo and to protect Flint, her youngest remaining child, from seeing his mother’s body fed on by scavengers. Sadly, Flint could not cope with his mother’s death and died two weeks later, at age eight and a half. Goodall wrote an obituary for Flo that was published in the London Sunday Times. She celebrated the contributions of Flo and her family to the science of behavior. But, she concluded, “even if no one

69

70

jane goodall

Interfering with Nature When a polio epidemic ravaged the chimps, Goodall obtained polio vaccine for both humans and chimps at the camp. But for some it was too late. Mr. McGregor, whom Goodall had known since her research began, lost the use of his legs and sphincter muscles. Covered in feces, urine, and flies, he pulled himself around with his arms for two weeks. The van Lawicks brought him food and water, and kept the flies away. When he fell from his low nest and dislocated a shoulder, they realized he would never improve. The next morning, Goodall gave him his favorite treat, eggs, and after he ate, van Lawick shot him. Many people criticized them for intervening in the epidemic, but Goodall felt justified. She also felt the human reactions were gender-based. The first question men always asked was, “Why did you interfere?” Women asked, “Did you try to help them?”

had studied the chimpanzees at Gombe, Flo’s life, rich and full of vigor and love, would still have had a meaning and significance in the pattern of things.” During this time, Goodall and van Lawick, later with Grub in tow, also spent months on the

Documenting the Chimps of Gombe Serengeti plain, where Goodall wrote and van Lawick took photographs for National Geographic. In 1971, she and van Lawick coauthored a book, Innocent Killers, on six Serengeti predators. She also helped with van Lawick’s 1974 book, Solo: The Story of an African Wild Dog. Goodall continued to give lectures around the world. From 1970 to 1975, she was a visiting associate professor of psychiatry at Stanford University and spent parts of each year there.

In the Shadow of Man Goodall’s 1971 book, In the Shadow of Man, cemented her reputation as both a scientific and a popular writer. She thought of this as her “real” book. It had a unique combination of characteristics—adventure and a distinctive, personalized writing style combined with groundbreaking new science. It was accessible and exciting to popular audiences as well as scientifically credible. The book was especially compelling because its writer was a woman who showed bravery and determination greater than that of most men. Shadow, as Goodall calls it, became an instant best seller in England and the United States. It has remained in print continuously in the United States since 1971 and has been translated into forty-seven languages.

71

72

jane goodall

While in Africa, Goodall studied other animals, including the Serengeti baboons shown here in 1974. She and husband Hugo van Lawick wrote several books on Serengeti wildlife.

Goodall has been criticized for the research methods described in Shadow, particularly for “interfering with nature” by inserting herself in the chimps’ lives. Some people objected to her close contact with the chimps, including the banana-feeding station. Others accused her of being “sentimental” and of anthropomorphizing the chimps’ behavior. She was unapologetic on all points. She pointed out that all scientists interfere with animals and nature

Documenting the Chimps of Gombe in general, usually negatively. She considered the observations in the chimps’ natural habitat to be much more accurate than those made in zoos or laboratories.

Personal Changes By 1972, the Gombe Stream Research Center was expanding to include African assistants who helped with chimp watching and an increasing number of students from Stanford University and the University of Dar es Salaam, in Tanzania, where Goodall was also teaching. Goodall was thrilled with the development of the research center and the incredible progress in data collection. Goodall’s personal life was also in upheaval. Louis Leakey had died in 1972. Then, she and van Lawick divorced in 1974. Van Lawick had no real role at Gombe other than as an administrator—work he hated. He wanted to continue his career as a photographer and filmmaker, and he came to resent the attention paid to his wife. The couple remained friendly, but the divorce was hard on Grub, then seven. The following year, Goodall married a Tanzanian official, Director of Parks Derek Bryceson. Bryceson was also a member of the Tanzanian Parliament. He had been helpful in negotiating political problems arising between the Tanzanian government and the research center.

73

74

jane goodall But 1975 proved disastrous for the research center. In May, forty armed men raided the camp and took four students hostage. Bryceson worked tirelessly with the government to negotiate a ransom payment. Eventually all four hostages were released, physically unharmed but psychologically traumatized. Goodall feared the center would be shut down completely, but probably due to Bryceson’s government influence, it remained open with only field staff. No students were allowed to return until 1989. Grub was now spending the school years in England, at the Birches, and going to school in Bournemouth, just as his mother had done. Goodall missed him terribly. She wrote him long letters. He returned to Africa for summers, dividing his time between his mother’s and his father’s homes. Goodall’s personal life was happy, if hectic, for five years, and then tragedy struck again. Her husband, Derek Bryceson, whom she considered the love of her life, died of cancer in October 1980. A return to the peaceful Gombe Reserve helped lessen Goodall’s grief.

Chimpanzees on the Dark Side During these years, new observations uncovered previously unknown “dark sides” of chimpanzee

Documenting the Chimps of Gombe life—war and cannibalism. The “Four Year War” began when chimps in the study range separated into northern (Kasakela) and southern (Kahama) groups. At first, the two groups showed only occasional aggressive displays in the central “neutral” zone. But between 1974 and 1978, the larger Kasakela group began to gang up on members of the Kahama group—males, females, and children—and killed them, one by one. By 1978, the Kahama group was decimated. Only two chimps, Passion and her daughter Pom, displayed cannibalism. This pair beat up female Gilka, ripped her baby out of her arms, and then killed and ate it. They murdered at least three of Gilka’s babies. Nine of ten baby chimps born during the Four Year War died. Passion and Pom killed and ate at least five, possibly more. Passion only attacked when Pom helped her. After both killers had their own babies, the cannibalism stopped. Other chimps avoided the two, and Goodall finally concluded that, unlike the war, Passion and Pom’s horrific behavior was an aberration, rather than typical behavior. These observations led Goodall, reluctantly, to change her original view that chimps were “nicer” than humans—that they did not indulge in violence for its own sake. Goodall described these episodes in her 1979 National Geographic article, “Life and

75

As staff size at Gombe increased, and especially after the 1975 kidnapping, communication among people became more vital. Here, Goodall contacts a coworker using a walkie-talkie.

Documenting the Chimps of Gombe Death at Gombe.” Again, critics attacked her observations. Some objected because the descriptions were so gruesome; others criticized them as “anecdotes” and therefore not sound science. Goodall pointed out that not only had Gombe researchers documented five instances of brutality during the “war,” but that researchers in other areas of Africa had documented similar instances. She felt these incidents supported two behavioral concepts she had argued from the beginning: the importance of an animal’s personal history and temperament in defining behavior, and the influence of individual behavior on the community.

The Chimpanzees of Gombe: Patterns of Behavior From 1977 until 1986, Goodall’s major writing project was a scientific monograph that compiled and explained twenty-five years of Gombe research. It began as a revision and update of her 1968 monograph, The Behavior of Free-Living Chimpanzees in the Gombe Stream Reserve, which was based on her dissertation. But there were massive amounts of data, much of it new and groundbreaking, including the information on chimpanzee aggression. Her “update” became a seven hundred-page tome. Goodall’s scientific work of a lifetime, titled The

77

78

jane goodall Chimpanzees of Gombe: Patterns of Behavior, was published in 1986 by Harvard University Press. This book was a critical success. It won the R. R. Hawkins Prize for the Most Outstanding Technical, Scientific, or Medical Book in 1986. In November 1986, the Chicago Academy of Sciences hosted a three-day symposium, “Understanding Chimpanzees,” to introduce Goodall’s book. This conference brought together primate researchers from all over the world, including former Gombe students and representatives from zoos and laboratories. It also changed the course of Goodall’s life—again.

J

ane Goodall’s eightieth birthday was April 3, 2014. She hasn’t slowed down, but her life today is very different from her days following chimps on the Gombe Reserve. She spends approximately three hundred days per year traveling around the world, giving lectures and school presentations. Her vision has broadened. She is no longer concerned only with the chimps of Gombe. In the decades after she arrived at Gombe, Goodall had watched the rain forest surrounding Gombe disappear as human populations grew and people cut trees, farmed, and burned the forest slopes. Today, the chimpanzee reserve, now Gombe National Park, is a forested island containing only about one hundred chimps. At the Chicago chimpanzee conference in 1986, Goodall listened as other scientists described similar destruction of primate habitat everywhere. She and other 79

CHApter seven

Reaching Out from Gombe

Since leaving Africa to write and speak on conservation, Goodall has periodically returned to Gombe to “recharge.” Here, she sits near a waterfall in the Gombe National Park.

Reaching Out From Gombe scientists feared the wild primates were doomed without intervention. Humans in these regions also needed ways to live sustainably and in harmony with nature. She emerged from the conference no longer a practicing scientist, but a conservationist and activist, dedicated to education and action to preserve apes and their habitats before it was too late. Goodall’s original goal of saving chimpanzees has transformed into two distinct but related causes. The first is saving rain forest ecosystems, thus preserving them for chimps and all other rain forest animals, and for the people of these regions, as well. The second is more personal—saving individual chimpanzees from the cruelty and death they suffer as they are hunted for food or sold to zoos and research laboratories.

The Jane Goodall Institute (1977) Goodall’s mission of conservation and education began in 1977, when she established the Jane Goodall Institute for Research, Conservation, and Education (JGI). This nonprofit organization originally supported the Gombe research, but it quickly expanded. In 1984, JGI founded the ChimpanZoo project, which trains zoo caretakers, students, and volunteers to work

81

82

jane goodall with zoo chimpanzees and improve their living conditions. Participants record data on the behavior of zoo chimps so researchers can compare it with wild chimp behavior. This increased understanding helps zoos provide a better life for captive animals. The institute has also formed sanctuaries for chimps freed from captivity or orphaned by the bush-meat trade. Other programs include outreach programs to conserve chimpanzee habitat in five African countries. These programs help rural communities develop sustainable ways of living. The 1995 TACARE (“take-care”) program, for example, established tree nurseries in One of Goodall’s greatest concerns is the exploitation of captive chimpanzees, including those used for research. Much of her work focuses on the rescue and rehabilitation of these chimps.

Reaching Out From Gombe

83

84

jane goodall twenty-four communities surrounding Gombe. The new trees will decrease hillside erosion, protect water supplies, and eventually reconnect Gombe with outlying forested areas. Since the 1980s, Goodall has also lobbied tirelessly to end the use of chimpanzees in medical research labs. She cites her own research showing chimps’ complex behavior and humanlike personalities as reasons to remove them from laboratory torture and inhumane living conditions. This activism is finally getting results. In June 2013, the National Institutes of Health announced it will retire all but 50 of its 360 research chimpanzees and phase out much of the chimp-based research. Reacting to the announcement, Goodall said, “It is exciting news…We must work together to make sure this happens as quickly as possible while remembering the 50 that remain.” Goodall is also concerned with the future. She believes we must teach children early to love, respect, and protect animals, ecosystems, and the human community. To promote this goal, JGI formed the Roots & Shoots program in 1991. This youth outreach program encourages young people around the world to become involved in conservation and animal protection projects. Today, Roots & Shoots reaches 120 countries and hundreds of thousands of youth.

Reaching Out From Gombe

Goodall as Science Writer During her chimpanzee research, Jane Goodall undertook years of scientific observation and data collection, which she had to organize and summarize into meaningful stories that people could understand. Later, when she became a conservationist, she strove to communicate the importance of conservation and ethical treatment of animals. In both situations, she had something important to say. But a writer’s ability to communicate determines whether people will listen and respond. Goodall is a rare combination—a groundbreaking scientist and a master communicator. With single-minded determination, hard work, and perseverance, she fulfilled her youthful dream of studying wild African animals. When she began to communicate her results to scientists and the public, she approached writing with that same determination. She vowed to write simply, so her works (even though scientific) would be easy for people to understand. To ensure this, she always reads her own writing aloud to catch any problems. Her personal, conversational writing style draws the reader in. And of course, in writing as in life, she shows respect for chimps and other nonhuman animals by giving them names, not numbers.

85

86

jane goodall

Books for Children Goodall has written extensively for children, telling stories of the animals she has known and observed. These books are timeless, and people who followed Goodall’s career when she and they were younger are now introducing her to new generations of children and grandchildren. Two books are especially important. My Life with the Chimpanzees is a short autobiography written in 1988, revised in 1996, and

Goodall feels it is essential to reach children and help them develop a love and appreciation for all animals. Her writings include many children’s books about animals.

Reaching Out From Gombe reprinted numerous times. Goodall describes her early life, how she got to Gombe, and raising her child among the chimps. She also tells heartbreaking stories of human cruelty to chimpanzees and gives her young readers a message: “you, as an individual, have a role to play and can make a difference. You get to choose: do you want to use your life to try to make the world a better place for humans and animals and the environment? Or not?” The Chimpanzee Family Book tells the story of baby Galahad, his mother Gremlin, and their family in Gombe. By showing the chimpanzees as a family unit, Goodall helps children (and adults) understand why they should be treated ethically. The Chimpanzee Family Book received the 1989 UNICEF/UNESCO Children’s Book of the Year Award. It has been translated into fifteen languages, including Swahili and Japanese. Goodall also wrote the Animal Family series of books on families of African animals—not just chimpanzees, but lions, elephants, hyenas, and others. The book With Love tells stories of ten Gombe chimpanzees, illustrating their humanlike qualities, including adoption of an orphaned child and rescue of a young chimp attacked during a hunt. Chimpanzees I Love: Saving Their World and Ours carefully describes the humanlike behaviors of

87

88

jane goodall

Dame Jane Goodall Jane Goodall has won many science awards, including Japan’s Kyoto Prize in Basic Science (similar in prestige to the Nobel Prize) and the National Geographic Society Centennial Award. She has won conservation awards, including the Gold Medal of Conservation from the San Diego Zoological Society (1974), the J. Paul Getty Wildlife Conservation Prize (1984), and the Schweitzer Medal of the Animal Welfare Institute (1987). Two recent honors are among the most prestigious. In 2002, United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan named her a UN Messenger of Peace. This high honor is awarded to carefully selected people who volunteer their time to further the goals of the United Nations in areas such as poverty eradication, human rights, peace, community development, and conservation. In 2003, Queen Elizabeth II named Goodall a Dame of the British Empire (the female equivalent of knighthood).

Reaching Out From Gombe her Gombe chimps, outlines the dangers they face, and invites young readers to get involved in protecting chimps.

Ethics and Conservation Many of Goodall’s books after 1990 cover ethical questions of how we treat animals, particularly primates. Through a Window: 30 Years Observing the Gombe Chimpanzees (1990) updates the Gombe studies, painting a more complete picture of chimpanzee communities, their personal interactions, and similarities to humans. She states, “The more we learn of the true nature of nonhuman animals, especially those with complex brains and corresponding complex social behavior, the more ethical concerns are raised regarding their use in the service of man.” Through a Window has been translated into fifteen languages and was on the American Library Association’s best nonfiction booklist for 1991. In Visions of Calaban: On Chimpanzees and People, Goodall collaborates with historian and biographer Dale Peterson. Peterson recounts the grim situation of chimpanzees both captive and wild—including their use as pets, in zoos, and in the entertainment business. Goodall discusses

89

90

jane goodall ethical issues related to these uses and uses in medical laboratories. She describes current attempts to stop the abuses through legislation and activism. Visions of Calaban was a New York Times Notable Book and the Library Journal’s Best SciTech Book of 1993. Reason for Hope: A Spiritual Journey, with Phillip Berman, is especially personal. Goodall wrote this memoir (based on a structure conceived by Berman) when she was sixty-five. It centers on her spiritual beliefs and how they help her deal with tragedy, and with the horrifying human and environmental abuses she has witnessed. Near the end of the book, she attempts to answer the question people often ask, “Jane, do you think there is hope?” She outlines four reasons for hope: “(1) the human brain; (2) the resilience of nature; (3) the energy and enthusiasm that is found or can be kindled among young people worldwide; and (4) the indomitable human spirit.” Another book, The Ten Trusts: What We Must Do to Care for the Animals We Love, was written as a dialogue with her colleague Marc Bekoff. The Ten Trusts outlines ten “commandments” to redefine our relationship with nonhuman animals. It illustrates, through stories from both authors’ experiences, examples of how this changed relationship is leading to changes in treatment of animals worldwide.

Reaching Out From Gombe Although Goodall’s scientific work has often provoked controversy, no one ever questioned her honesty or ethics. But perhaps no famous person can get through life without at least one scandal. Reviewers of advance copies of her 2013 book, Seeds of Hope (coauthored with Gail Hudson), charged that sections of the book had been plagiarized. Goodall immediately apologized and postponed the book’s release date to ensure proper citing of all sources. The book, on the preservation of Earth’s plant life, covers an area outside Goodall’s expertise. This plus her hectic travel schedule perhaps led her to rely too much on a sloppy “committee” approach to authorship—a sad and hopefully one-time lapse in judgment for a person with such a sterling reputation as a writer and a human being. Throughout her long career, people have made films and television specials covering Goodall’s life and work and the chimpanzees themselves. National Geographic made several more television specials after the first one in 1963. Hugo van Lawick produced a film, “People of the Forest,” following Flo and her extended family. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the American Public Broadcasting System (PBS), and Animal Planet have also produced specials. The message of the chimpanzees is so compelling that it has been communicated again and again, through nearly every possible medium.

91

92

jane goodall

Jane Goodall’s Legacy Jane Goodall’s career now spans fifty-plus years. It is hard to overstate the breadth—and importance—of her scientific accomplishments. She has been a pioneer in the science of ethology, developing new methods of primate research and advancing our understanding of primate behavior. Among her “firsts” are the discoveries that chimpanzees eat meat, make and use tools, and have individual personalities, will, and intelligence. She has observed them playing, mothering, murdering, waging war, engaging in politics, and showing very “human” emotions. She changed the direction of primate research by standing her ground and providing evidence until her scientific peers began to accept her vision of animal intelligence and “personhood.” She trained many of the next generation of ethologists, ensuring that her vision of animal behavior—combining strict scientific principles with intuitive and ethical thought—will persevere for many years. But Goodall’s scientific accomplishments are only part of her story. She has also been an unparalleled role model for girls and women, showing by example that they can do anything they want to do, if they work hard enough. She has been a

Reaching Out From Gombe

93

More than any other recent scientist, Jane Goodall has bonded with the animals of wild Africa. She continues to communicate the importance of that bond with all of us.

passionate advocate for conservation and the ethical treatment of animals. She has been (and still is) a gifted, articulate, and compelling science writer and speaker. Jane Goodall’s contributions to our society and culture will live on through her writings, her projects, and the many people whose lives she has touched.

timeline 1934 Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall is born on April 3 in London, England. 1946 In the summer, Jane starts a nature club, the Alligator Society, with her sister, Judy, and two friends. 1952 Jane graduates from high school in Bournemouth, England. 1953 Jane begins at Queen’s Secretarial College in Kensington on May 5. 1955 In the summer, Goodall begins working for Schofield Productions in London, choosing music for documentaries. 1956 Goodall’s friend Clo Mange invites her to the family’s home in Kenya. 1957 Goodall arrives in Kenya by boat on April 2 and celebrates her birthday in Africa. 1957 Goodall meets Louis Leakey on May 24, and he offers her a secretarial job. 1957 In July, Goodall goes with the Leakeys to Olduvai Gorge for their summer archaeological dig. Leakey tells Goodall about a possible study of chimpanzees at Gombe Reserve. 1960 On July 14, Goodall and her mother, Vanne, arrive at Gombe Reserve and Goodall begins chimpanzee observations. On October 30, Goodall observes chimp 94

Timeline

David Greybeard eating meat, ending the belief that chimpanzees are vegetarians. On November 4, she observes him making tools to obtain termites, scoring another “first.” 1962 In January, on Louis Leakey’s recommendation, Goodall enters Cambridge University to work for a doctorate in ethology. 1963 Jane’s first article, “My Life Among Wild Chimpanzees,” is published in the August issue of National Geographic magazine. 1964 On Easter Sunday, March 28, Jane Goodall marries Dutch photographer and filmmaker Hugo van Lawick in London’s Old Chelsea Church. 1965 National Geographic provides funds to build the first structures for the Gombe Stream Research Center; the center opens in March. In December, CBS airs “Miss Goodall and the Wild Chimpanzees,” a National Geographic film with film footage by Hugo van Lawick. 1966 In February, Goodall receives her doctorate in ethology from Cambridge University. 1967 On March 4, Hugo Eric Louis van Lawick (nicknamed “Grub”) is born to Jane Goodall and Hugo van Lawick.

95

96

jane goodall

1971 Goodall’s best-known book, In the Shadow of Man, is published. It is translated into fortyseven languages and has remained continuously in print in the United States. 1974 Goodall and van Lawick divorce. 1975 Goodall marries Derek Bryceson, director of the Tanzanian National Parks and a member of the Tanzanian Parliament. 1977 Goodall founds the Jane Goodall Institute for Wildlife Research, Education, and Conservation. 1980 Goodall’s husband, Derek Bryceson, dies of cancer. 1984 Goodall begins the ChimpanZoo project. 1986 Goodall’s scholarly book on twenty-five years of chimpanzee research, The Chimpanzees of Gombe: Patterns of Behavior, is published by Harvard University Press. It wins the R. R. Hawkins Prize for the Most Outstanding Technical, Scientific, or Medical Book in 1986. In November, Goodall attends a Chicago conference organized around the release of her book. She learns of the massive destruction of chimpanzee habitat throughout Africa and decides to leave Gombe and devote her life to conservation efforts.

Timeline

1991 With sixteen Tanzanian students, Goodall founds Roots & Shoots, a youth-based global environmental and conservation organization. 1994 Goodall founds TACARE to promote conservation and help communities around Lake Tanganyika live sustainably. 2002 On April 16, United Nations secretarygeneral Kofi Annan appoints Goodall a United Nations Messenger of Peace. 2004 On February 20, Prince Philip dubs Goodall a dame of the British Empire (the female equivalent of knighthood). 2013 In late September, Goodall speaks at the annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) on the crisis of increased poaching of African elephants and rhinos, its ties to international terrorism, and its effect on African families. 2014 Jane Goodall celebrates her eightieth birthday.

97

glossary alpha male The leader or member with the highest rank in a group of chimps or other animals; the most dominant, powerful, and assertive male. anthropomorphism Attributing human characteristics or behaviors, such as thought or emotions, to nonhuman animals. australopithecine A group of relatively smallbrained early humans who lived in Africa one to four million years ago. bush baby A small, nocturnal primate native to East Africa, with large eyes and ears, woolly fur, and a long, bushy tail. dissertation A long, often book-length essay, usually written as a requirement for a Ph.D. degree. In science, it is based on the author’s original field or laboratory research. escarpment A long, steep slope at the edge of a plateau, separating land areas of different heights. ethologist A scientist who studies animal behavior. ethology The scientific study of animal behavior. imprinting A rapid learning process in which a very young animal learns to recognize and is attracted to its parent or a substitute parent. monograph A long (often book-length) scholarly piece of writing on a specialized subject.

98

Glossary

primate A mammal in the order Primates, including lemurs, lorises, monkeys, apes, and humans. primatology The scientific study of primates. quantitative Numerical; able to be measured, expressed in numbers and in graphical or statistical form.

99

for more information Chimp Haven, Inc. 13600 Chimpanzee Place Keithville, LA 71047 (318) 925-9575 Web Site: http://www.chimphaven.org Chimp Haven is an independent, nonprofit organization that cares for chimpanzees previously used in biological research and other areas. It also allows noninvasive research on resident chimps and educates the public about the plight of chimps, the need for conservation of wild chimps, and the need for protection of those in captivity. Fauna Foundation P.O. Box 33 Chambly, QC J3L 4B1 Canada (450) 658-1844 Web site: http://www.faunafoundation.org The Fauna Foundation is a nonprofit organization that rescues and provides permanent sanctuary for animals that have been abused or rejected by humans. The foundation rescues animals used in farming, education, entertainment, and research. Its primary focus is on chimpanzees rescued from medical laboratories, including

100

For More Information

HIV-infected animals. Animals live on a two hundred-acre (eighty-one hectare) protected wild site. Jane Goodall Institute 1595 Spring Hill Road, Suite 550 Vienna, VA 22182 (703) 682-9220 Web site: http://www.janegoodall.org Founded by Jane Goodall, this nonprofit institute is an international wildlife and environmental conservation organization. It is the umbrella organization for all of Jane Goodall’s projects and has branches in many countries. Jane Goodall Institute of Canada University of Toronto Mailroom 563 Spadina Crescent Toronto, ON M5S 2J7 Canada (416) 978-3711 Web site: http://www.janegoodall.ca Founded in 1994, this is the Canadian branch of the Jane Goodall Institute. It promotes Roots & Shoots, the Chimp Guardian program, and other JGI initiatives in wildlife and environmental conservation.

101

102

jane goodall

Save the Chimps P.O. Box 12220 Fort Pierce, FL 34979 (772) 429-0403 Web site: http://www.savethechimps.org/save-the -chimps-mission Save the Chimps is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to rescuing and providing lifelong care for chimpanzees from research laboratories, entertainment, or the pet trade. Wildlife Conservation Society 2300 Southern Boulevard Bronx, NY 10460 (718) 220-5100 Web site: http://www.wcs.org This international conservation organization focuses on conservation of wildlife. It concentrates on selected groups, such as great apes and big cats. It supports zoos and aquariums and promotes environmental educational, as well as protecting wildlife and their habitats. World Wildlife Fund (WWF Global) 1250 24th Street NW Washington, DC 20037 (202) 293-4800

For More Information

Web site: http://worldwildlife.org This organization seeks to protect global biodiversity by protecting natural areas and wild populations, minimizing pollution, and promoting sustainable use of natural resources. It works at all levels, from direct protection of animals through interactions with governments and global agencies.

Web Sites Due to the changing nature of Internet links, Rosen Publishing has developed an online list of Web sites related to the subject of this book. This site is updated regularly. Please use this link to access the list: http://www.rosenlinks.com/GSW/Good

103

for further reading Bardhan-Quallen, Sudipta. Jane Goodall (Up Close). New York, NY: Viking Juvenile, 2008. Bekoff, Marc. The Emotional Lives of Animals: A Leading Scientist Explores Animal Joy, Sorrow, and Empathy—and Why They Matter. Novato, CA: New World Library, 2008. Briggs, Andy. The Greystoke Legacy. (Tarzan, the New Adventures). New York, NY: Open Road Media E-riginal, 2012. Briggs, Andy. The Jungle Warrior (Tarzan, the New Adventures). New York, NY: Open Road Media E-riginal, 2012. Briggs, Andy. The Savage Lands (Tarzan, the New Adventures). New York, NY: Open Road Media E-riginal, 2013. Edwards, Roberta. Who Is Jane Goodall? New York, NY: Grossett & Dunlap, 2012. Goodall, Jane. The Chimpanzee Family Book (Animal Family). New York, NY: North South Books, 1997. Goodall, Jane. 50 Years at Gombe. New York, NY: Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2010. Goodall, Jane. In the Shadow of Man. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1988. Goodall, Jane. My Life with the Chimpanzees. New York, NY: Aladdin, Simon & Schuster, 2002.

104

For Further Reading

Goodall, Jane. With Love: Ten Heartwarming Stories of Chimpanzees in the Wild. New York, NY: North South Books, 2003. Goodall, Jane, and Hugo van Lawick. Grub the Bush Baby. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1988. Henderson, Harry. The Leakey Family: Unearthing Human Ancestors (Trailblazers in Science and Technology). New York, NY: Chelsea House Publishing, 2012. Holmes, Thom. Primates and Human Ancestors: The Pliocene Epoch (Prehistoric Earth). New York, NY: Chelsea House Publishing, 2009. Morell, Virginia. Animal Wise: The Thoughts and Emotions of Our Fellow Creatures. New York, NY: Crown Publishing, 2013. Ottaviani, Jim. Primates: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas. New York, NY: First Second Books, 2013. Redmond, Ian, and Jane Goodall. The Primate Family Tree: The Amazing Diversity of Our Closest Relatives. Richmond Hill, ON, Canada: Firefly Books Ltd, 2011. Schrefer, Eliot. Endangered. New York, NY: Scholastic Press, 2012. Welty, Tara. Jane Goodall (Conservation Heroes). New York, NY: Chelsea House Publishing, 2011.

105

bibliography Biography.com. “Jane Goodall Biography.” The Biography Channel. Retrieved July 1, 2013 (http://www.biography.com/people/ jane-goodall-9542363). Flood, Alison. “Jane Goodall Book Held Back After Accusations of Plagiarism.” Guardian, March 25, 2013. Retrieved September 1, 2013 (http:// www.theguardian.com/books/2013/mar/25/ jane-goodall-book-accused-plagiarisingwikipedia). Goodall, Jane. Africa in My Blood: An Autobiography in Letters. The Early Years. Dale Peterson, ed. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000. Goodall, Jane. In the Shadow of Man. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1988. Goodall, Jane. My Life with the Chimpanzees. New York, NY: Aladdin Paperbacks, Simon and Schuster, 1996. Goodall, Jane, and Marc Bekoff. The Ten Trusts: What We Must Do to Care for the Animals We Love. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers, 2002. Goodall, Jane, and Phillip Berman. Reason for Hope: A Spiritual Journey. New York, NY: Grand Central Publishing, 1999.

106

Bibliography

Goodall, Jane, with the Jane Goodall Institute. 50 Years at Gombe: A Tribute to Five Decades of Wildlife Research, Education, and Conservation. New York, NY: Stewart, Tabori, and Chang, 2010. Greene, Meg. Jane Goodall: A Biography. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books. 2005. Jane Goodall Institute. “Early Days.” 2013. Retrieved August 18, 2013 (http://www.janegoodall.org/ janes-story). Jane Goodall Institute. “Jane’s Reasons for Hope.” 2013. Retrieved August 18, 2013 (http://www. janegoodall.org/janes-reasons-hope). Jane Goodall Institute. “Jane Today.” 2013. Retrieved August 18, 2013 (http://www. janegoodall.org/jane-around-world). Jane Goodall Institute. “Raising Awareness.” 2013. Retrieved September 2, 2013 (http://www. janegoodall.org/chimpanzees-awareness). Jane Goodall Institute. “Roots & Shoots.” 2013. Retrieved September 1, 2013 (http://www. janegoodall.org/programs/youth). Jane Goodall Institute. “Study Corner–Biography.” 2013. Retrieved July 1, 2013 (http://www. janegoodall.org/study-corner-biography). Jane Goodall Institute. “Study Corner–Jane Timeline.” 2013. Retrieved September 3, 2013 (http://www. janegoodall.org/study-corner-biography).

107

108

jane goodall

Jane Goodall Institute. “UN Messenger of Peace.” 2013. Retrieved August 18, 2013 (http://www. janegoodall.org/un-messenger-peace). Jane Goodall Institute of Canada. “Jane Goodall. Biographical Timeline.” 2013. Retrieved September 3, 2013 (http://www.janegoodall.ca/ goodall-bio-timeline.php). Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots. “Jane Goodall, DBE.” 2013. Retrieved September 1, 2013 (http:// rootsandshoots.org/staff/dr-jane-goodall-dbe). Moynihan, Michael. “Jane Goodall’s Troubling, ErrorFilled New Book, ‘Seeds of Hope.’” Daily Beast, March 26, 2013. Retrieved June 20, 2013 (http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/ 03/26/jane-goodall-s-troubling-error-filled-newbook-seeds-of-hope.html). Peterson, Dale. Jane Goodall: The Woman Who Redefined Man. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006. Quammen, David. “Being Jane Goodall.” National Geographic, October 2010. Retrieved September 1, 2013 (http://ngm.nationalgeographic. com/2010/10/jane-goodall/quammen-text).

index A

David Greybeard (chimp), 6, 7, 40, 42, 50, 56, 57, 60, 69

Annan, Kofi, 88 Anstey, David, 36 anthropomorphism, 50–51, 72

E

B “banana club,” 60, 61, 62 Bandora, Dominic, 36, 42, 44 Bekoff, Marc, 90 Berman, Phillip, 90 Bryceson, Derek, 73–74

C Cambridge University, 45–52, 53, 62–63 Carmichael, Leonard, 58 chimpanzees at Gombe Reserve, behavior of, 6–7, 38–40, 42–45, 50, 56, 57, 58–60, 61, 63–64, 65, 66, 74–77, 92 Chimpanzees I Love: Saving Their World and Ours, 87–89 Chimpanzees of Gombe, The, 67, 77–78 ChimpanZoo, 81–82

D Danny (grandmother), 9, 11, 12–13

Elizabeth I, Queen, 88 ethology, science of, 46–47, 92

F Flo (chimp), 60, 63–64, 65, 69–70, 91

G Goliath (chimp), 6, 7, 43, 57, 60 Gombe Reserve/National Park, 4, 26, 27, 36–41, 42–45, 46, 53, 56, 58–60, 61–62, 63–66, 67, 79, 84, 87, 89 Gombe Stream Research Center, 62, 73–74 Goodall, Jane awards won, 88 at Cambridge, 45–52, 53, 62–63 child of, 63–66, 70, 73, 74 childhood of, 8–17 conservation efforts, 79–84, 85, 87–89, 93 criticism of, 50–51, 61, 70, 72, 77, 91

109

110

jane goodall desire to go to Africa, 13, 15, 18 early interest in nature, 8–9, 11, 12, 13–17 education of, 12, 14, 15, 18–19, 45–52 and ethics regarding animals, 89–91, 93 first visit to Africa, 24–27 learning field research, 33–35 as lecturer, 57, 62, 63, 65, 67, 71, 79, 93 legacy of, 92–93 pets of, 17, 22, 30 marriage to Bryceson, 73 marriage to van Lawick, 60 moves to Africa, 32–35 as secretary, 19–21, 23, 25, 26 social life, 21–22, 33 study of African chimpanzees, 4–7, 27, 38–41, 42–45, 53–56, 57, 58–60, 61–62, 63–64, 65, 66, 67, 69, 72–73, 75–77, 85, 89, 92 study of vervet monkeys, 33–35 and the women’s movement, 65 as writer, 23–24, 50, 53, 57–58, 63, 64, 67, 69–73, 75–78, 85–91, 93 Goodall, Judy, 11, 14, 28, 54

Graves, William, 57–58 Grosvenor, Melville Bell, 32 Grub, the Bush Baby, 64

H Hill, Osmond, 29 Hinde, Robert, 46, 47–48, 50, 51, 52 Hosea, Catherine, 33 Hudson, Gail, 91 humans’ assumed superiority of animals, 51–52

I In the Shadow of Man, 6, 35, 67, 71–73

J Jane Goodall Institute, 81–84

K Kenya, 24, 25–26, 27, 28, 32 Kikwale, Rashidi, 36

L Leakey, Louis S. B., 25–27, 28, 29, 30–32, 35, 40–41, 42, 45–46, 53, 56, 60, 61, 73 Leakey, Mary, 25–26, 32, 56 Lolui, 33–34 London Zoo, 28–30 Lorenz, Konrad, 46, 47

Index

M

R

Mange, Marie-Claude (“Clo”), 24, 25 Morris, Desmond, 28–29 Morris, Ramona, 28–29 Morris-Goodall, Margaret Myfanwe Joseph (“Vanne”), 8, 9, 11, 12, 24, 32–33, 36, 37, 42, 56 Morris-Goodall, Mortimer Herbert, 8, 9, 12, 28 My Friends the Wild Chimpanzees, 63 My Life with the Chimpanzees, 86–87

Roots & Shoots, 84

N Napier, John, 30 National Geographic magazine, 57–58, 63, 71, 75–77 National Geographic Society, 32, 41, 45, 46–47, 53–54, 56, 58, 60, 62, 88, 91

O Olduvai Gorge, 26, 32, 56 Oxford University Registry Office, 21, 23

P Paleface (chimp), 44 Passion (chimp), 75 Peterson, Dale, 18–19, 24, 41, 51, 89–90 Pom (chimp), 75

S Salimu, Hassan, 42, 44 Schaller, George, 40, 50 Schaller, Kay, 40 Stanford University, 57, 71, 73

T TACARE, 82–84 Tinbergen, Nikolas, 46–47

V van Lawick, Hugo, 54–57, 58–60, 61–62, 63–64, 66, 70–71, 73, 74, 91 van Lawick, Hugo Eric Louis “Grub,” 63–66, 70, 73, 74 vervet monkeys, 33–35 Visions of Calaban: On Chimpanzees and People, 89–90 von Frisch, Karl, 46

W Wilkie, Leigh, 32

Y Young, Robert, 33

111

112

jane goodall

About the Author Carol Hand has a Ph.D. in zoology with a specialty in ecology and environmental science. She has taught college biology, written assessments and curricula for the middle and high school levels, and authored a number of young-adult books on science and social studies. She has been a fan of Jane Goodall for most of her life.

Photo Credits Cover, p. 1 Bertrand Guay/AFP/Getty Images; p. 4 namatae/ Shutterstock.com; p. 5 © iStockphoto.com/EdStock; p. 10 New York Times Co./Archive Photos/Getty Images; p. 13 Culture Club/Hulton Archive/Getty Images; pp. 16–17 Birute Vijeikiene/Shuttestock.com; p. 19 London Stereoscopic Company/Hulton Archive/Getty Images; p. 20 Epics/Hulton Archive/Getty Images; p. 23 Tricia Bauer; p. 29 Reg Speller/Hulton Archive/Getty Images; pp. 30–31 Robert F. Sisson/National Geographic Image Collection/Getty Images; p. 34 Sean van Tonder/Shutterstock.com; p. 39 © Shah, Anup/Animals Animals; p. 43 © Danita Delimont/Alamy; p. 47 Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images; p. 49 Nina Leen/Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images; pp. 54–55 Daryl Balfour/Getty Images; pp. 58–59 Courtesy CSU Archives/Everett Collection; p. 64 Bentley Archive/Popperfoto/ Getty Images; pp. 68, 76 © AP Images; p. 72 Fotos International/ Archive Photos/Getty Images; p. 80 NHPA/SuperStock; pp. 82–83 Minden Pictures/SuperStock; p. 86 iStockphoto.com/kirin photo; p. 93 Michael Nichols/National Geographic Image Collection/Getty Images; cover and interior design elements Featherlightfoot/ Shutterstock.com (fractal patterns), Rahmo/Shutterstock.com (chimp in grass), RoyStudio.eu/Shutterstock.com (canvas texture). Designer: Michael Moy; Editor: Bethany Bryan; Photo Researcher: Nicole DiMella