Jane Goodall describes for Alan her love of animals at a very young age.

In 1960, when Jane Goodall first arrived at the Gombe Stream Reserve in equatorial Africa, she could not have known she was embarking on what would become the world's longest running wildlife study. In "Chimps Observed," Alan Alda talks with Jane Goodall about her life among the chimps of Gombe and her more recent efforts as a chimp conservation advocate.

Forty years ago, Goodall began a revolution in how we view chimpanzees. She was 26, and had no experience or formal qualifications; yet, Goodall's persistence, patience and open-mindedness soon paid off with ground-breaking observations. The first scientist to document tool use, hunting and even warfare in chimpanzees, Goodall's observations made our closest genetic cousins seem that much closer.

Goodall's research with chimps has changed our understanding of animal behavior.

In "Chimps Observed," Alan Alda talks with Jane Goodall about her remarkable life among the chimps. Since 1986, Goodall sees less of her friends at Gombe. These days, she's on the road speaking out on behalf of chimpanzees, and advocating their conservation. With only about 150,000 chimps left in the wild, Goodall's deep understanding of chimpanzees is more important than ever.

For more on this topic, see the web feature:
The Frontiers Profile: Jane Goodall