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 Public Welfare Foundation.

Recently, the world-renowned British zoologist and primate expert Jane Goodall, known as the “Mother of Chimpanzees,” visited China, her 17th trip to the Chinese mainland. Besides attending celebrations for the 30th anniversary 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 Public Welfare Foundation (hereinafter referred to as It’s Fund).

It’s Fund is a public welfare 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 joy and sorrow, accompanying and warming us. Dogs can be trained as working dogs to help more people, guiding the blind, searching and rescuing, healing, and accompanying…”

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. It showed no willingness to respond by shaking hands, yet she still rewarded it. On her way home, a little black dog she hadn’t paid much attention to before silently 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 proactively extended its paw to her, hoping for a reward. Later, she named the little black dog Rusty, and Rusty has been by her side ever since.

“I have deep affection for these little animals,” Jane Goodall said.

Jane Goodall, who celebrated her 90th birthday in April, is a legendary woman featured in textbooks. She has been renowned for her research on chimpanzees and humanology, delving into African jungles to reveal the complexity of chimpanzee society. Later, 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 teenagers globally. She used her personal experiences to inspire teenagers 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 learning the importance of protecting nature in this wonderful museum will surely inspire them to love nature even more.”

During Jane Goodall’s week-long trip 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 wildlife enters 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; they’re not stupid. So, the question is to find out why animals behave like this 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,” Jane Goodall said.