Jane Goodall

Hello, my name is Jane. When I was a little girl living in England, I loved animals more than anything. I loved playing outside in my garden and watching the birds and squirrels. My very favorite toy was a soft, cuddly chimpanzee. My father gave him to me, and I named him Jubilee. I would take Jubilee with me everywhere. We went on so many adventures together in my backyard. Holding him close, I would dream a big, wonderful dream. I dreamed that one day, I would go to a big, beautiful place called Africa. I wanted to live with the animals, watch them play, and learn all about them. That was my biggest wish.

When I grew up, my dream came true. On July 14th, 1960, I traveled all the way to Africa. I went to a special forest called Gombe. It was filled with tall green trees and amazing sounds. I was there to learn about chimpanzees. At first, the chimpanzees were very shy. If I came too close, they would run away and hide. So, I had to be very, very patient. I would sit quietly for a long, long time, just watching them from far away. I wanted them to know I was their friend. One day, a kind chimpanzee with a white beard let me get a little closer. I named him David Greybeard. He was the first chimpanzee to trust me, and it made my heart feel so happy.

Watching my new chimpanzee friends was so exciting. One day, I saw something amazing. I saw a chimpanzee take a small stick and use it like a tool to find yummy termites to eat from a log. Wow. Before then, people thought only humans used tools. My discovery showed everyone just how clever and special chimpanzees are. Learning about them was just the beginning. Now, I travel all over the world to tell people how important it is to be kind to animals and to protect the beautiful forests they call home. We can all be friends to the animals.