New York: Jane Goodall , who dedicated her life to researching free-living chimpanzees, has died at the age of 91, The Guardian reported.
Goodall gained huge attention when she began researching chimpanzees in Tanzania in 1960.
Several iconic photos from those period shows Goodall observing chimpanzees thus giving insights into their life.
Born in London in 1934, the world-renowned primatologist founded the Jane Goodall Institute in 1977 which focuses on protecting the species and the environment.
The Jane Goodall Institute said that Goodall died of natural causes while on US speaking tour in California.
Leading expert on chimpanzees, her research spanning more than 60 years helped better understanding the similarities in ‘primate and human behaviour’.
Goodall was due to deliver a speech on her life and career in Los Angeles on 3 October alongside another event in Washington DC the following week.
Her love of animals led Goodall in her 20s to research chimpanzees at Gombe Stream national park in Tanzania.
Observing chimpanzees, she changed the idea that only humans could use tools and more insightfully that chimps are vegetarian.
The Jane Goodall Institute, set up to improve the understanding of the primates and protect their natural habitats, has now offices in more than 25 countries.
Goodall, an advocate of environmental issues, won the title of Messenger of Peace by the UN in 2002.