British Zoologist 1934-

Jane Goodall, the world's leading expert on chimpanzees, was born in London, England. Almost nothing was known about chimpanzees until Goodall conducted her field studies in East Africa. Her study of these animals in the wild has revealed that chimpanzees have many striking similarities to humans. They are our closest relatives in the animal world, having 98 percent of the same genes.

Goodall grew up on the southern coast of England. From earliest childhood, she was obsessed with animals, her favorite reading being Dr. Doolittle and Tarzan books. Goodall's unusual dream of going to Africa to live with animals was encouraged by her mother. Goodall attended secretarial school, and then got a job. When a friend invited her on a trip to Kenya, she raised money by working as a waitress. At the age of twenty-three, Goodall began her adventure, traveling to Kenya by...