Jane Goodall on the Life Lessons She Learned from Chimps

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You’d like to talk about yourself as a naturalist,

as opposed to a scientist.

What’s the difference?

Science is very factual oriented,

and that’s good.

I’m not saying there’s anything against that,

but what’s missing in so many

ethological scientists

is the sense of wonder and awe

and not wanting everything to be explained

because some things never can be explained.

I’m pretty sure about that.

I’ve seen the films of you climbing up trees

and trying to get a glimpse of chimps,

but we’ve gotten so used to the Attenborough documentaries

where we’re so up close to every species.

That we’ve kind of take it for granted

how hard it was to even see a chimp.

The early observations were all through binoculars,

you know, from a reasonable distance.

And I was getting really worried

because with money for six months.

And I knew if I didn’t see sort of exciting things

before the money ran out,

that would be the end of the dream.

Well that was my goal as a child,

to live with wild animals

and write books about them.

That was, that was the whole goal that I had.

You and your new book, and in some of your other books,

you dedicate, you make a dedication

to a primate named David Greybeard

who became, I guess, along with Louis Leakey

was one of the most important primates in your life

because he sort of opened the door for you, correct?

Do you have a picture of him there?

Absolutely, the very handsome.

Tell me about David’s contribution to your mission.

Well David’s, David contributed in many ways.

First of all, by letting me get close to him.

But the real breakthrough

was seeing David using and making tools,

grass stems to fish termites from their underground burrows.

You know at the time it was thought humans

and only humans used and made tools.

And that was what enabled Leakey to go to the Geographic.

They agreed that they fund the research

when that six months money ran out.

And they sent a filmmaker, Hugo Van Lawick

who was able to document the behavior

that I was gradually learning more and more about

as the other chimps came to accept me as well.

You were, of course, studying chimpanzees as mothers.

You had a bunch of role models that you could look at.

Could you talk about a couple of the mother chimps

and what you learned from them?

What I really got from the chimps

were two important things.

One, they had fun with their infants.

They played with them, they laugh,

and I thought I’m going to have fun with my baby too.

And the other thing was

the tremendous importance of support

in their first couple of years,

which is really important for our children too.

So they have, to have a little group,

two or three supportive adults

who are always there, continuity for their child.

It gave that child confidence.

When you had your son and he was with you

at least a lot of the time in Africa,

Grub, as you call you him.

Do you still call him Grub at this stage?

Yup, I still call him Grub.

Sometimes a nickname just sticks.

And now that brings me to The Book of Hope,

which is a called a survival guide for trying times.

Wonderful timing, Jane.

We do need some hope right now.

We do.

This book and hope is so important now

is because if you don’t have hope,

then why bother to do anything?

If you don’t think that what you do

is going to make a difference,

why bother to do it?

Why not just sit back, eat, drink, and be merry,

for tomorrow, we die.

[laughing]

You know, so if,

if we don’t get together and take action,

then no,

I think our race of species is doomed.

People in their individual lives are beginning to think

about, you know, how you behave and what you buy.

Did they tom the environment?

Was it cruel to animals?

Is it cheap because of unfair wages or,

forced labor?

And if so, don’t buy it.

So, you know, we’re really beginning to use our brains

to leave lighter ecological footprints.

When I was growing up,

I grew up in the sixties and seventies.

So it was the era of the space program

and National Geographic and Jane Goodall.

What could we do to bring those good old days back,

where kids grow up, not distrusting science, but loving it.

You know, I meet like a CEO

whose company is really damaging the environment.

And how do you, how do you get,

how do you get through to that person?

It isn’t any good pointing fingers, blaming, arguing,

because then the brain of that man

is going to be refuting you,

finding, thinking of ways that he can refute you.

I think people must change from within.

And so the way to get into a person’s heart

is by telling stories.

Just out of curiousity, where does your energy come from?

I mean, I am exhausted just thinking

about all the things you do.

What, what pushes you forward?

You know, as I get older,

I’m nearly dearly, 88 now.

I’ve got less time left.

I have to do more and more and more

because there’s so much to do.

But the main thing is to inspire others.

And the Jane Goodall Institutes, 24 around the world,

the Roots and Shoots groups,

thousands of young people

and all the ones who’ve been through it

and take the values with them,

respect for all life.

This is actually a conversation

I’ve waited my entire life to have.

You one of my heroes

and you’re the hero of millions of others.

So I just want to send you my gratitude and my love.

Well, thank you too.

And you know, it’s been really lovely talking to you.

And I hope that when I’m next over

your side of the Atlantic,

we can meet in person and share a whiskey.

I will hold you to that.

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