“The world has lost an angel”: G’s Bruce Poon Tip pays tribute to Dr. Jane Goodall

The world is mourning the loss of renowned chimpanzee researcher and animal rights advocate Dr. Jane Goodall, who died of natural causes at the age of 91 on Wednesday (Oct. 1).

Dr. Goodall leveraged her worldwide fame to highlight the decline of chimpanzee populations and, more broadly, to raise awareness about the dangers of environmental destruction.

She was also one of G Adventures’ close collaborators, working with the tour operator to develop its animal welfare policy and endorse a series of wildlife-focused tours.

In a statement Thursday, Bruce Poon Tip, G Adventures’ founder, said “the world has lost a pioneer and relentless warrior for everything that is good in this world.”

“She will be profoundly missed, but her spirit will live on in the forests she loved, in the animals she fought to protect, and in every person whose life she touched with her wisdom and courage," he wrote.

Just before leaving office in January, then-U.S. president Joe Biden awarded Goodall the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's most prestigious civilian award.

Goodall leaves behind her son, Hugo Eric Louis van Lawick, better known as Grub, from her first marriage with National Geographic filmmaker Hugo van Lawick, as well as three grandchildren.

Her second husband, Derek Bryceson, a member of Tanzanian parliament and former director of Tanzania's National Parks, died in 1980 from cancer.

Read Bruce Poon Tip’s full tribute to Dr. Goodall here:  

The world has lost an angel. Dr. Jane Goodall was a great woman, an inspiration to me personally, and a dear friend.

I was just with Dr. Jane a few weeks ago. We joked about her schedule and I told her that she made me feel like a part-timer and that I should get back on the road again. Even in her nineties, she continued to travel the world, speaking, inspiring and fighting for this planet. She dedicated her life to delivering a message of peace, and her tireless research forever connected humankind with the natural world and the challenges of biodiversity.

Her passing leaves a void that will be felt deeply, not only by those who knew her but by communities and wildlife around the world whose lives she touched through her tireless work.

We have had a long-standing relationship with Dr. Jane and the Jane Goodall Institute for many years that has enabled us to shape how travelers connect with nature in ways that inspire care, conservation, and a sense of responsibility to our planet - values that Jane lived and breathed every day.

Just days ago, we were honoured to announce Dr. Jane as one of our Global Ambassadors, celebrating her as a trailblazer and driver of change. She was truly a gift to humanity, a figure of peace, and a global icon whose message of compassion and hope is needed now more than ever.

I was privileged to meet with Dr. Jane last month where we spoke about the dual potential of tourism; for harm, but also for tremendous good. In that conversation, she reminded me and everyone listening that “We are all human. We all laugh, we all cry, we all hope, we can all go into despair. We are all one family.” That belief, that we are bound together in responsibility and in hope, was at the core of who she was.

Dr. Jane’s life work will continue to inspire us all at G Adventures. We are committed to honouring her legacy and being the messengers for her through our ongoing work with the Jane Goodall Institute and by carrying forward the principles she championed: respect, compassion, and the deep understanding that we are all connected.

The world has lost a pioneer and relentless warrior for everything that is good in this world. She will be profoundly missed, but her spirit will live on in the forests she loved, in the animals she fought to protect, and in every person whose life she touched with her wisdom and courage.

She was my hero. She inspired me to be better. She was a great woman, a global icon, a figure of peace, and a good friend.

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