This sculpture was created to celebrate the 60-year anniversary of Dr Jane Goodall’s ground breaking scientific research into chimpanzees at Gombe National Park, Tanzania.

With the advent of global environmental issues and social change, the David Greybeard project stands to represent all species welcoming the viewer in a gesture of inclusion and reconciliation.

Based on the image of Jane’s gentle muse, David Greybeard, the sculpture was created by artist Lisa Roet, to raise awareness around humans relationship with nature and our closest animal relative, while drawing attention to the conservation efforts of the Jane Goodall Institute. Roet acknowledges UNESCOS call for the preservation of the Great Ape, seen as the umbrella species for the rainforest systems with deforestation the greatest threat to our environment through global warming.

David Greybeard was the chimpanzee to whom Dr Jane Goodall dedicated her first groundbreaking research papers about emotion and communication in animals.
Months after Jane’s arrival in Gombe National Park, Tanzania, David Greybeard was the first to accept Jane, allowing her to observe his community and chimpanzee behaviour. It was during this time David Greybeard demonstrated to Jane how chimpanzees use tools.

This was an important observation, as it was believed that only man was capable of making tools. Subsequently, Dr Goodall’s observations of chimpanzee behaviour forced the scientific community to redefine the definition of humankind. Jane shared her groundbreaking observation with renowned paleo-anthropologist Louis Leakey, who responded…