Tryst with the great apes

Actor Justin Long (of Alvin and the Chipmunks franchise fame) started his 'Life is Short' podcast delving into the minds of people to learn how they find meaning in life. In the episode Dr Jane Goodall, he interviews the legendary 90-yr- old primatologist, in which she talks about her love for animals and Africa, which led her to a friend's farm in the Kenyan highlands in 1957.

She recounts making 'that famous call' to Kenyan palaeontologist Louis Leakey. Impressed by her knowledge, Leakey sent Goodall to Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania to study the great apes, which he believed could provide insights into the behaviour of early hominids. The rest is primatology history.

Goodall speaks fondly of her greatest champion - her mum - who encouraged her to pursue a male-dominated field at the time. The podcast's highlight comes when Goodall describes her love of being alone in the jungle and 'communing with nature'.


Dive in to learn more about Goodall's fascinating jungle life, conservation efforts and her exemplary work with chimpanzees in Tanzania. Goodall, this podcast reminds us, is a hero of our times.