Daily TribuneDr. Jane Goodall, whose research with chimpanzees radically altered how people view, consider and interact with primates, including human primates, passed away last week at 91.
English primatologist and anthropologist Jane Goodall.
Photograph courtesy of Netflix
“My mother she was different,” said Jane Goodall. “She said, ‘Jane do you really want to do something like this (care for animals)? You are going to have to work very hard, take advantage of every opportunity, and if you don’t give up, hopefully you will find a way.”
“That is the message I take around the world and share it particularly with disadvantaged communities,” she said. “And I wish mom was around to know how many people come up and say, ‘Jane I really want to thank you. Because you did it, I can do it, too,” according to @GAdventures.
Few people in the world are so widely respected for their work in compassion, conservation and caring that the legacy surpasses humanity.
Such a regarded individual was Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, whose research with chimpanzees radically altered how people view, consider and interact with primates, including human primates. Goodall, a world-renowned ethologist and conservationist who founded the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) and served as the UN Messenger of Peace, passed away last week at the age of 91.
Last March, she was interviewed by Emmy Award winner Brad Falchuk under strict confidentiality.
The conversation, according to Netflix, was for Famous Last Words, a new Netflix documentary. The long-form series is based on the notable Danish TV format of the same name, featuring some of the world’s cultural icons.
The interview was held on an empty stage, and captured by remotely operated cameras. The footage was securely held until she died, unedited, so that nobody outside the pair would know the contents until now, the streaming platform said.
The stories she shared with Falchuk in secret, now made public, range from her early observations of the fictional character Tarzan’s wife. “His Jane was a real wimp,” she said.
Goodall also expressed her views on free will, strategies for winning arguments, ex-husbands and the connection she sensed to spirituality as her life progressed. She additionally shared some personal reflections she’s never revealed, even to her family, and enumerated her regrets, along with which members of the “cloud contingent” she wished would welcome her on the other side.
But what were her last words, really?
“In the place where I am now, I look back over my life. I look back at the world I’ve left behind. What message do I want to leave? I want to make sure that you all understand that each and every one of you has a role to play. You may not know it, you may not find it, but your life matters, and you are here for a reason. And I just hope that reason will become apparent as you live through your life. I want you to know that, whether or not you find that role that you’re supposed to play, your life does matter, and that every single day you live, you make a difference in the world. And you get to choose the difference that you make,” she said straight to the camera.
“I want you to understand that we are part of the natural world. And even today, when the planet is dark, there still is hope. Don’t lose hope. If you lose hope, you become apathetic and do nothing. And if you want to save what is still beautiful in this world — if you want to save the planet for the future generations, your grandchildren, and their grandchildren — then think about the actions you take each day. Because, multiplied a million or a billion times, even small actions will make for great change. I want to — I just hope that you understand that this life on Planet Earth isn’t the end. I believe, and now I know, that there is life beyond death. That consciousness survives.
“I can’t tell you, from where I am, secrets that are not mine to share. I can’t tell you what you will find when you leave Planet Earth. But I want you to know that your life on Planet Earth will make some difference in the kind of life you find after you die. Above all, I want you to think about the fact that we are part — when we’re on Planet Earth — we are part of Mother Nature. We depend on Mother Nature for clean air, for water, for food, for clothing, for everything. And as we destroy one ecosystem after another, as we create worse climate change, worse loss of diversity, we have to do everything in our power to make the world a better place for the children alive today and for those that will follow. You have it in your power to make a difference. Don’t give up. There is a future for you. Do your best while you’re still on this beautiful planet Earth that I look down upon from where I am now. God bless you all,” Goodall ended.
