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 “Love It Warm Winter Festival” hosted by the Beijing Love It Animal Protection Public Welfare Foundation.

Recently, Jane Goodall, the “Mother of Chimpanzees,” a world-renowned British zoologist and primate expert, visited China for the 17th time. Besides attending celebrations for the 30th anniversary of the launch of her “Roots & Shoots” project in China, she also participated in the 8th “Love It Warm Winter Festival” hosted by the Beijing Love It Animal Protection Public Welfare Foundation (hereinafter referred to as the Foundation). The Foundation is a public welfare foundation dedicated to animal protection. The host and Chairman of the Foundation, 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. 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 intention of shaking hands in response, yet she still rewarded the dog. 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 the handshake trick, but it seemed to have learned it on its own and reached out its paw to her 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 is renowned for her chimpanzee and anthropological research, having delved 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 young people globally. She used her personal experiences to inspire young people at the scene 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 her week-long visit to China, Jane Goodall also expressed her views 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; they’re not stupid. So, the issue is to find out why animals behave this way and educate people because sometimes people take aggressive actions, which only make the situation worse and make animals more aggressive.”

“We must preserve natural habitats, where animals feel safe,” Jane Goodall said.