Jane Goodall: Preserve Natural Habitats for Animals, Where They Feel Safe
“My favorite animals are not only chimpanzees but also the stray dogs that my family and I have rescued.”
On December 1st, Jane Goodall attended the 8th “It’s Warm Winter” event hosted by the Beijing It’s Animal Protection Foundation.
Recently, Jane Goodall, the “Mother of Chimpanzees” and a world-renowned British zoologist and primate expert, visited China for the 17th time. Apart from attending the 30th anniversary celebration of the launch of her “Roots & Shoots” project in China, she also participated in the 8th “It’s Warm Winter” event hosted by the Beijing It’s Animal Protection Foundation (hereinafter referred to as It’s Fund). It’s Fund is a public foundation dedicated to animal protection. The host and chairman of It’s Fund, Zhang Yue, called on more people to take action, “to speak up for the voiceless and encourage those who persist,” advocating love and responsibility.
Dr. Jane Goodall, who has studied chimpanzees all her life, has a favorite animal: dogs. Surprisingly yet understandably, she said, “Dogs are friends of humans. They know our joys and sorrows and accompany us warmly. Dogs can be trained as working dogs to help more people, guiding the blind, participating in search and rescue, providing healing, and companionship…”
Jane Goodall shared a funny story from her childhood at the event. She once encountered a very beautiful purebred Collie and tried to teach it to shake hands, but the dog just sat there looking at her. Many Collies are very smart, but this one seemed a bit silly and had no intention of responding by shaking hands. However, she still rewarded the dog. On her way home, a small black dog that she hadn’t paid much attention to before quietly followed her. She had never taught this little black dog how to shake hands, but it seemed to have learned it on its own and reached out its paw to her for a reward. Later, she named this little black dog Rusty, and Rusty has been by her side ever since.
“I have deep affection for these little animals,” said Jane Goodall.
Jane Goodall, who celebrated her 90th birthday in April, is a legendary woman featured in textbooks. She is renowned for her research on chimpanzees and human studies, having delved into African jungles to reveal the complexity of chimpanzee society. Subsequently, she initiated a series of environmental protection projects, turning profound insights into action. Among them, the “Roots & Shoots” environmental education project is one of the most active environmental education programs for young people globally. She used her personal experiences to inspire young people at the event to participate in environmental protection and sustainable development of the Earth.
On the day she arrived in Beijing, Jane Goodall appeared at the China Science and Technology Museum to exchange stories with “Roots & Shoots” project members from all over the country. At the museum, she wrote a message: “Children learn the importance of protecting nature in this wonderful museum, which will surely inspire them to love nature even more.”
During Jane Goodall’s week-long visit to China, she also commented on recent incidents of wild boars and Siberian tigers entering residential areas. In an interview with CCTV News, she said, “We think it’s terrifying when wild animals enter human habitats, but what about us? Haven’t we invaded their homes, their forests, wetlands, and rivers? We seem to think it’s okay, but we know animals have thoughts and feelings, and they’re not stupid. So the question is to find out why animals behave this way and educate people, because sometimes people take aggressive actions, which only makes the situation worse and makes animals more aggressive.”
“We must preserve natural habitats, where animals feel safe,” said Jane Goodall.
