TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s National Museum of Natural Science has opened a commemorative exhibition honoring late primatologist and conservationist Jane Goodall, who died Oct. 1 at age 91.
Running through Nov. 2, the exhibition features photographs and reproductions of Goodall’s handwritten notes, highlighting her groundbreaking research on primate behavior. Her work fundamentally reshaped scientific understanding, showing that humans are not the only species capable of thought and emotion, according to CNA and the Jane Goodall Institute.
Other featured items include photographs Goodall took in the forest, art drawn by chimpanzees, field footage, and collaborative photography with filmmaker Mike Nichols. A centerpiece is a chimpanzee tool-making model Goodall personally brought to Taiwan, complete with handwritten labels of chimpanzee names such as Fanni, Fax, Apollo, and Sandi. The labels serve as both scientific records and a family tree of the chimpanzees she studied, according to CTEE.
Museum Director Huang Wen-shan (黃文山) recalled that Goodall’s first engagement with the museum occurred in 1996, when she personally attended the opening of a chimpanzee photography exhibition. Huang noted that her calm but determined presentations conveyed decades of field research from Africa, helping Taiwanese audiences understand that chimpanzees can think, use tools, and express emotions.
Goodall returned in 1999 for an international photography exhibition, engaging with Taiwan’s education community and planting what Huang described as “seeds of conservation.” The current exhibition revisits classic images and field artifacts from her past museum shows.
During the opening, the museum read aloud winning entries from a 1997 national chimpanzee essay contest for elementary and junior high students. Nearly three decades ago, children responded to Goodall’s philosophy with curiosity and imagination.
Some wrote, “If I were a chimpanzee, I wouldn’t have to do homework, and could spend every day with my family,” while others aspired, “When I grow up, I want to be somebody like Jane Goodall.” The museum has issued a public notice seeking the three original young writers to witness this intergenerational connection.
Huang said that Goodall not only transformed primatology but also championed a philosophy of living in harmony with nature. Reflecting her legacy, the exhibition incorporates recycled materials and low-carbon design, inviting visitors to reflect on humanity’s connection to nature while celebrating the life and work of a remarkable scientist.
