Jane Goodall

We are part of the animal kingdom, not separate from it. We are just a more intellectual animal.

The more we understand about the natural world, the more we realize how much we are a part of it, and how much we depend on it.

Science can be a wonderful tool, but it's not the only way to understand the world. Sometimes, you just have to observe and feel.

The idea that humans are superior and have the right to exploit other species is a dangerous one.

We have to get away from the idea that we are the only important species on the planet.

The greatest lesson I learned from the chimpanzees is that we are all interconnected. What happens to them, happens to us.

We need to move beyond just protecting species and start protecting ecosystems, because everything is connected.

The greatest challenge we face is changing human hearts and minds.

If we lose the chimpanzees, we lose a part of ourselves, a part of our heritage, a part of our understanding of who we are.

The scientific community was very critical of my methods at first, because I gave the chimpanzees names instead of numbers, and I talked about their personalities.

I believe that the spiritual aspect of life is just as important as the scientific, and that we need both to truly understand the world.

Here we are, the most clever species ever to have lived. So how is it we can destroy the only planet we have?

Change happens by listening and then starting a dialogue with the people who are doing something you don't believe is right.

You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you.

I think the most important thing is to keep active and to hope that your mind stays active.

The more we learn of the true nature of non-human animals, especially those with complex brains and corresponding complex social behaviour, the more ethical concerns are raised regarding their use in the service of man—whether this be in entertainment, as pets, for food, in research laboratories or any of the other uses to which we subject them.

We have the choice to use the gift of our life to make the world a better place–or not to bother.

I like to envision the whole world as a jigsaw puzzle... If you look at the whole picture, it is overwhelming and terrifying, but if you work on your little part of the jigsaw and know that people all over the world are working on their little bits, that's what will give you hope.

Without patience I could never have succeeded.

The most important thing is to actually think about what you do. To become aware and actually think about the effect of what you do on the environment and on society.