Chimps, war, and us

Jane Goodall’s research revealed chimpanzees were far more like us than anybody had suspected. One aspect was deeply troubling: they fight wars. Like us.

Jane Goodall, pictured in 2019, died on Oct. 1 at the age of 91. She was also one of the greatest self-taught scientists in history, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Flickr/Simon Fraser University

Opinion

BY GWYNNE DYER

October 8, 2025

LONDON, U.K.—Jane Goodall died last week, still on the road at the age of 91, and still advocating for biodiversity in general and the welfare of chimpanzees in particular. She was a hero to me and millions of others for her courage, wisdom, and compassion. She was also on...

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