(Credits: Warner Bros / Jane Goodall Institute)
Thu 2 October 2025 9:14, UK
Leonardo DiCaprio has paid tribute to the late conservationist champion Dr Jane Goodall following her death aged 91.
Goodall died in California from natural causes while in the United States for a speaking tour. She was a world-leading expert in the field of chimpanzees, which she first publicly documented for the National Geographic in 1965.
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In 1977, she founded the Jane Goodall Institute and also later became a UN Messenger of Peace, as well as a Dame in 2003, before being awarded the US Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2025. Her last live event took place last week in New York, and she was also due to appear in California on October 3rd.
DiCaprio, who is also a UN Messenger of Peace due to his environmental work, led the tributes by poignantly writing on Instagram: “Today we have lost a true hero for the planet, an inspiration to millions, and a dear friend.”
The One Battle After Another actor continued, “Jane Goodall devoted her life to protecting our planet and giving a voice to the wild animals and the ecosystems they inhabit.” DiCaprio then highlighted how her work changed the world, writing, “Her groundbreaking research on chimpanzees in Tanzania transformed our understanding of how our closest relatives live, socialize, and think — reminding us that we are deeply connected not only to chimpanzees and the other great apes, but to all life.”
DiCaprio continued to heap praise on her work, adding, “She spoke directly to the next generation, instilling hope, responsibility, and the belief that every individual can make a difference. She inspired millions to care, to act, and to hope. She never stopped.”
He concluded, “My last message to Jane was simple: ‘You are my hero.’ Now, we all must carry the torch for her in protecting our one shared home.”
Barack Obama has also honoured Goodall, sharing how she “opened doors for generations of women in science”. Meanwhile, the United Nations said that Goodall leaves behind an “extraordinary legacy for humanity and nature”.
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