Jane Goodall, the British primatologist whose groundbreaking work with chimpanzees turned her into a global icon, passed away on October 1, 2025, at 91, leaving a legacy that’s currently igniting pop culture like a wildfire through the savanna. Her death, confirmed by a Los Angeles death certificate citing cardiopulmonary arrest and reported by TMZ, came mid-tour in California, where the tireless advocate was still preaching conservation. Just weeks later, at 10:46 AM +07 on Thursday, October 23, 2025, her influence pulses through X trends, Netflix streams, and college campus buzz—like at Saint Joseph’s University, where The Hawk’s Satina Sackie ’27 graphic captures her spirit. Goodall’s 1965 Cambridge doctorate, her Gombe revelations, and her advocacy via the Jane Goodall Institute and Roots & Shoots have morphed from academic gold to a pop culture phenomenon, with current tributes from Ariana Grande to TikTok’s chimp-hoot challenges proving her reach transcends her Tanzanian treks.

Goodall’s journey began in 1960 at age 26, when she ventured into Gombe National Park, Tanzania, armed with little more than binoculars and a passion for primates. Unlike predecessors who studied chimps in captivity, she observed them wild, upending ethology. Her logs detailed tool-use—chimps fishing termites with sticks—and social dynamics, earning her a 1962 National Geographic spotlight. The Gombe Chimpanzee War, a four-year rift from 1974-1978 within the Kasekela community, was her crown jewel. This split into rival factions, marked by coalition-building and territorial clashes, mirrored human conflict—a revelation that stunned science and hinted at primate politics. Critics scoffed at her naming chimps like David Greybeard, arguing numbers better suited research objectivity, but Goodall saw personalities, forging bonds that humanized her subjects.

Her impact reshaped human-animal understanding. By proving chimps share complex emotions, intelligence, and social ties with humans, she bridged species gaps, influencing fields from psychology to ethics. The Jane Goodall Institute, founded 1977, and Roots & Shoots, launched 1991, carried her torch—educating millions, with the latter now boasting 150,000 youth in 75 countries by 2025. Her mantra, “Let us develop respect for all living things… replace violence with understanding and compassion,” echoes in current climate activism, resonating on X with #JaneGoodallLegacy posts.

Since her passing, pop culture has erupted. Netflix’s “Famous Last Words” series dropped her pre-recorded October 3 segment, where the 91-year-old mused on “alpha male” leaders—suggesting a space exile for Trump, Musk, Putin, Xi, and Netanyahu—drawing 15 million views and sparking X debates (#TributeOrTaboo). Ariana Delawari’s October 23 Coffee and Conversations essay, detailing their jam sessions, racked 500 shares, while Billie Eilish fans mash her “Ocean Eyes” with Goodall’s pant-hoots, hitting 2 million TikTok plays. Memes—her “ape run” to heaven with 79K likes—blend humor with homage.

Current campus culture, like The Hawk’s coverage, amplifies her. Sackie’s graphic, paired with student reflections, ties her to Gen Z’s eco-fight, with Roots & Shoots challenges—5 million TikTok views this month—mimicking chimp calls for climate action. Celebs like Obama X-ed praise for her science-pioneering, while USAID’s June 2025 cuts to her Tanzania project—blamed on Trump-era policies—fuel #SaveGombe petitions with 1 million signatures. Her institute pushes on, vowing Gombe’s 65-year study continues.

Goodall’s pop roots run deep: Dora the Explorer (2006), The Simpsons (1993), Doctor Who (2010), and Fire of Love nods to her work. Her 2024 eco-jewelry launch, donating $100K to JGI, and 2025 Presidential Medal of Freedom add current sheen. At death, her institute’s October 1 Facebook post unleashed tributes—Cruelty Free International and Mongabay lauded her lab crusades and hope. X users remix her wisdom into anthems, while Etsy’s “Hope Jane” tees boom.

Three weeks post-death, Goodall’s not gone—she’s trending. Her legacy, from Gombe’s wars to today’s digital hoot, proves compassion outlives us. As The Hawk notes, her call to understand animals still inspires—current as this morning’s scroll.