50 Years of Chimps & Change

It was 50 years ago that Dr. Jane Goodall first set foot on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, beginning the ground-breaking study that introduced us to our closest animal relatives. Since then, the chimpanzee research she pioneered at Gombe has produced a wealth of scientific discovery, and her vision has expanded into a global mission to empower people to make a difference for all living things.

Learn how the Institute helps deliver that global mission by visiting our programs section.

“Half a century of amazing

discoveries have helped us redefine our place in the natural world. And most amazing of all is knowing how much more the chimpanzees have to teach us. I look forward to moving into the next half century.”

      - Jane Goodall

Listen to Dr. Goodall's thoughts on 50 Years in

Gombe

Today, the Gombe research is one of the longest running studies of animals in the wild read more about insights into our closest relatives' emotions, behaviors and social structures.

Gombe 50 Publications

"Securing a Future for Chimpanzees"

An informative article in Nature Magazine featuring Jane Goodall's call for urgent action to save chimpanzees from extinction in the wild.

Jane Goodall - Gombe 50 Feature in the Washington Post

Read about Jane's thoughts on what 50 Years of Gombe means to her and the changes she has witnessed.

View Dr. Goodall's slide show, a retrospective of the past 50 years of her work in Gombe.