David, in addition to all that he taught Dr. He was very tolerant and kind, maintaining a gentle temperament even while others grew aggressive.

David often comforted Goliath by placing a hand on his head or body, particularly when Jane was observing the two chimps. Goodall, but also to his companion Goliath. David Greybeard, easily recognizable by his silver facial hair, was also the first chimp Jane saw using tools and the first she observed eating meat.ĭavid was a good friend not only to Dr. Goodall’s favourite chimpanzee, after all of these years, is still David Greybeard, the very first individual at Gombe to have trusted Jane. Above all, these observations have taught us that chimpanzees must be protected.ĭr. From tool use and maternal care to territoriality, hunting and meat eating, the Gombe chimpanzees have demonstrated great diversity in behaviour – and how similar they are to humans. We’ve learned a great deal about their complex social lives, personalities and intelligence. Today, researchers continue to collect data on both species’ behaviours, health, and social relationships. Field staff and researchers monitor the life histories and demography of the Gombe chimpanzee and baboon populations as individuals are born, die, and migrate. Over the years, Gombe researchers have witnessed and recorded entire lifespans of individual chimpanzees. Goodall’s revolutionary findings, the Gombe Stream Research Centre is a living laboratory, home to the world’s most studied group of wild chimpanzees. And it’s the setting for our origin story.įounded to advance Dr. It’s where LouisLeakey famously first sent her to observe chimpanzees where she discovered that chimpanzees use tools, revolutionizing Western science’s understanding of the animal world and our relationship to it.

My life with the chimpanzees