Famed primatologist and anthropologist Jane Goodall has died at the age of 91. Goodall’s work includes 65 years of field research, during which she studied chimpanzees in Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park. Her efforts to document chimpanzee behavior, which included the use of tools, challenged assumptions about what it meant to be human and the true depth of animal cognition. To expand her research into chimps Goodall founded The Jane Goodall Institute in 1977.
Her tireless animal rights activism and lobbying of the US National Institutes of Health eventually led to the banning of the use of chimps for biomedical research. In 2015, the NIH declared chimps an endangered species and defunded all its invasive biomedical experiments involving chimpanzee testing. To learn more about the complex creatures to whom Goodall dedicated her life, here are documentaries on Netflix you can stream now.
The largest chimpanzee society ever observed by humans lives in the forest of Uganda. The four-part docuseries Chimp Empire observes and explores their complex society as the chimps navigate social politics, family dynamics, and territorial disputes. Narrated by Mahershala Ali, the 2023 series is an eye-opening look into how close our nearest genetic relatives are to humanity.
Across its two seasons, docuseries Animal captures never-before-seen footage of the planet’s most astonishing creatures, offering rare glimpses into how animals form communities. Season 2, Episode 1, “Apes,” features a chimp family, and showcases not only the street smarts and survival instincts of these animals, but also their sensitivity and sweetness to each other. The docuseries is narrated by Bryan Cranston, Rashida Jones, Anthony Mackie, Rebel Wilson, Andy Serkis, David Harbour, Uzo Aduba, and Pedro Pascal.
While chimps were Goodall’s prime focus, she also advocated for society to see humanity in all animals, and encouraged many generations to explore our connections with the beautiful creatures with whom we share the Earth. Here are three documentaries that capture nurturing and educational moments between humans and animals.
Filmmaker Craig Foster had a unique experience while free-diving in a kelp forest near Cape Town, South Africa — he made a friend. My Octopus Teacher documents the year Foster spent learning from, playing with, and living around the curious, wild octopus who introduced herself to him on one of his earliest dives. Following her life journey — from defending against dangerous predators, to mating and producing eggs, to her eventual natural death — deeply impacts Foster’s understanding of life and the relationship he has with his own son.
A team of park rangers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo risk their lives in a fight to protect the last of the mountain gorillas from the greed and corruption of humanity. This Oscar-nominated documentary was directed by Orlando von Einsiedel (Prince Harry’s The Heart of Invictus). To dive deeper once done with Virunga, be sure to check out Virunga: Gorillas in Peril, a featurette in which von Einsiedel and members of his crew reveal what made this such an urgent and essential story to tell.
In her mission to prove sharks — which are on the verge of extinction — aren’t monsters, marine conservationist and social media activist Ocean Ramsey documents her dives with sharks, showcasing unique techniques to interact with one of the world’s most feared predators. Shark Whisperer is directed by James Reed (My Octopus Teacher).
