Leonardo DiCaprio honours ‘trailblazer’ Jane Goodall at activist’s funeral

Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio has remembered environmental activist Jane Goodall as “an extraordinary woman” and “trailblazer” at the primatologist’s funeral.

The conservationist, who was a “dear friend” of DiCaprio’s, and the world’s leading expert on chimpanzee behaviour, died at the age of 91 in October.

Environmentalist DiCaprio paid tribute to the scientist, who was a UN Messenger of Peace alongside the actor, in a ceremony held at the Washington National Cathedral on Wednesday.

The Oscar-winning actor, who celebrated his 51st birthday on Tuesday, said: “It is a privilege to stand here today honouring a person of such immense magnitude. An extraordinary woman who changed not only the world, but so many of us in it, my good friend, Jane Goodall.”

He added: “When most of us think about environmental issues, we tend to dwell on destruction and loss, and I’ll admit it’s something I’ve always struggled with myself, but Jane led with hope always.

“She never lingered in despair. She focused on what could be done.

“She reminded us that change begins with compassion and that our humanity is our greatest tool.

“Yes, she could be clear eyed, even blunt about the greed and relentless consumption of our species, but beneath that fierce honesty was an unwavering faith that every voice matters, that we are all connected to the living world, and that each of us can make a difference.

“Most people knew her as Jane Goodall, the icon, the legend. But the Jane I was fortunate enough to get to know was gentle, curious, funny, witty and absolutely unstoppable.

“She could light up a room with her stories and somehow inspire everyone she met to believe that they individually could do better.

“We got to cross paths in so many different places, at conferences, on panels and in friends’ homes.

“And every single time we’d end up tucked away in a corner talking late into the night about politics, biodiversity and our shared hope that the next generation might do better than we have done.

“I was lucky enough to travel with her and witness how she moved through the world, always curious, always patient, always connecting with people.”

He added: “She was a scientist, a storyteller, a trailblazer, but above all, she was a teacher, and her legacy lives on in the millions she inspired, especially through (charity) Roots And Shoots, empowering young people everywhere to act for the planet.

“Her ground-breaking work in Tanzania forever changed how we understand chimpanzees and in many ways, how we understand ourselves. But her love and advocacy reached far beyond that forest, it ignited an entire generation of environmentalists, including myself.”

Goodall, whose research on chimpanzees was the longest field study ever undertaken of any group of animals in the wild, began her studies in Tanzania in 1960, a time when it was unheard of for a woman to venture into the wilds of Africa.

In 1977, she founded the Jane Goodall Institute, which works to protect the species and supports youth projects aimed at benefiting animals and the environment.

DiCaprio said: “I’ll forever cherish every conversation, every adventure I had with her. Every laugh, every whiskey we shared, and every time I got to spend time talking with my dear friend.

“May we all honour her by carrying forward that same fierce belief that we can do better, that we must do better, and that we have a responsibility to protect this beautiful natural world we all share.

“Jane often said ‘Every day that we live, we can make an impact on the planet’. May ours be an impact of hope for her, for all living things and for the generations to come.”

DiCaprio was pictured sitting near former US speaker Nancy Pelosi and founder of the World Central Kitchen charity, Jose Andres.

The funeral also featured readings from Goodall’s grandchildren and a “dog salute” from the PAL Therapy dog-handler teams.