Jane Goodall cause of death revealed: Report

Jane Goodall, the famed conservationist known for her expertise on chimpanzees and her globe-spanning advocacy of environmental causes, died of cardiac arrest, according to reports.

TMZ reported the news on Monday citing Goodall’s death certificate. 

Jane Goodall’s cause of death revealed

What we know:

According to the death certificate, Goodall's cause of death was listed as cardiopulmonary arrest — another name for cardiac arrest – an incident where the heart stops beating.

During cardiac arrest, people typically collapse and become unresponsive. Symptoms start without warning, and this is why people also call it sudden cardiac arrest, according to Cleveland Clinic.

The Jane Goodall Institute previously said that Goodall died of natural causes in California while on a speaking tour across the U.S. 

What we don't know:

Goodall also had epilepsy, according to the death certificate. It’s unclear if this contributed or played a factor in her death.

Jane Goodall dies at 91

Dig deeper:

Goodall, a UN Messenger of Peace and Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute, was 91 when she died earlier this month.

The Jane Goodall Institute confirmed the news on Instagram. 

She had been scheduled to meet with students and teachers to launch the planting of 5,000 trees around wildfire burn zones in the Los Angeles area. Organizers learned of her death as the event was set to begin at the EF Academy in Pasadena, California, said spokesperson Shawna Marino. The first tree was planted in Goodall’s name after a moment of silence.

What they're saying:

"Dr. Goodall's discoveries as an ethologist revolutionized science, and she was a tireless advocate for the protection and restoration of our natural world," the institute said in a statement. 

Jane Goodall's legacy

The backstory:

Goodall, born in London in 1934, traveled to Kenya in 1957 and met the famed anthropologist and paleontologist Louis Leakey. In 1960, at his invitation, she began her groundbreaking study of chimpanzees in what is now Tanzania.

Her field research revolutionized the field of primatology, helping transform how scientists and the public perceive the emotional and social complexity of animals. She was the first to observe that chimpanzees engage in activities previously believed to be exclusive to humans, such as creating tools, and she demonstrated that they have individual personalities.

RELATED: Jane Goodall, renowned conservationist, dies at 91

Her findings were circulated to millions when she first appeared on the cover of National Geographic in 1963 and soon after in a popular documentary. A collection of photos of Goodall in the field helped her and even some of the chimps become famous. One iconic image showed her crouching across from the infant chimpanzee named Flint. Each has arms outstretched, reaching for the other.

In a 2021 interview with The Associated Press, Goodall recalled how her work with the chimpanzees led to a broader appreciation for nature as she spent hours by herself in the forest.

"Out there in nature by myself, when you’re alone, you can become part of nature and your humanity doesn’t get in the way," she said. "It’s almost like an out-of-body experience when suddenly you hear different sounds and you smell different smells and you’re actually part of this amazing tapestry of life."

"If one wants to reach people, if one wants to change attitudes, you have to reach the heart," she said during her first episode. "You can reach the heart by telling stories, not by arguing with people’s intellects."