World renowned conservationist Jane Goodall visited the Farm Sanctuary SA in Franschhoek on 2 March, home to the famous Pigcasso, where she promoted her Roots and Shoots Foundation as part of her worldwide 90th birthday celebration on 3 April.
Goodall is known around the globe for her research and conservation efforts regarding chimpanzees, specifically in the Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania, where she spent a significant amount of time studying the behaviour of these animals.
During her stay there she became the first person in the world to document how these primates make and use tools for everyday living.
Today she is not only a world-renowned primatologist, but also an animal activist and founder of successful non-profit organisations.
Part of Goodall’s visit to the SA Farm Sanctuary was about promoting her Roots and Shoots Foundation, administered by youth around the world.
Here, local youth projects presented their work to Goodall, explaining the difference they are making in their communities. These four projects included Shark Spotters, Raise the Baby Rhino, Project Playground and Wynberg Girls High- and Primary School’s recycling project.
They are centred around different causes ranging from rhino conservation to early- and late-childhood development.
Goodall imparted various pearls of wisdom to the youth, pertaining particulary to her love of animals, citing her dog Rusty as her original “teacher” in terms of understanding animal behaviour and specifically that animals, like humans, have emotions.
Her passion for chimpanzees, and indirectly Africa, sprang from a visit to a local second-hand bookshop as a child.
She said she picked up a book about primates and decided “that is what I want to do.”
After completing school she worked as a secretary, as her family could not afford university, but soon afterwards she got a chance to visit chimpanzees in Tanzania, a dream which finally realised.
“Humans share 98,7% of our DNA with chimpanzees,” she told the group of youth, who at this point were visibly fascinated by her stories.
Besides her knowledge and love for animals she also addressed socio-economic problems that plague societies like South Africa’s.
“I understand poverty, I was born during the Second World War. We had to ration our food and wore our clothes until they had holes in them, and then we would hide them from our mom, because she could not afford to buy more.”
Goodall, however, warned the youngsters that they should not become complacent about their circumstances and work hard for a better future.
