Jane Goodall, Conservation Icon and Friend of Disney's Animal Kingdom, Dies at 91
Jane Goodall, Conservation Icon and Friend of Disney's Animal Kingdom, Dies at 91
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News Jane Goodall Passes Away at 91
- Thread starter wdwmagic
- Start date
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The Empress Lilly
Well-Known Member
I'm saddened to hear she has passed away. I had the pleasure of meeting her twice about a decade ago, discussing our environmental projects, for which she gracefully offered words of encouragement. I love her work, inspiring as a scientist, as a woman, and as an animal activist. She is small in real life, even frail, soft-spoken too, a stark contrast to her resolve. Strong voices don't need loud volume.
The Empress Lilly
Well-Known Member
Bob's even worse about making her passing all about him than I
I'm surprised they never named her a Disney Legend - arguably she has a very strong claim for it just based on her AK work alone, never mind her other work with Disney more privately (in particular the DCF's chimpanzee conservation efforts, and I'm pretty sure she had some hand in the chimpanzee film DisneyNature made in the early 2010s).
Figments Friend
Well-Known Member
Perhaps it will be a part of the next Disney Legends ceremony.
Would be a nice gesture.
Just a shame she will miss receiving the acclaim and honor in person.
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No reason she shouldn't have gotten it for AK's 25th.
The Empress Lilly
Well-Known Member
She's certainly a legend! But is she a 'Disney' legend? Much as I adore her spiritual presence in DAK, I think the creative accolades belong elsewhere.
I think Disney bestows legend status a bit too easily in general, at the risk of watering down that title.
I'd love a little mention / memorial of her legacy in DAK though, beyond her name on a crate in Gorilla Falls.
The Empress Lilly
Well-Known Member
Can you just imagine a park where Disney doesn't add singing toons but a Jane Goodall Audio-animatronic aka the new Walt ones, feeding love for the animal world and inspiring young girls (and boys!) into a life of meaning and inquisitiveness and contemplation of man's place as part of nature?
cjkeating
Well-Known Member
There is the chimpanzee sculpture and plaque for Jane on the Tree of Life at the entrance to the Tree of Life Theatre.
HMF
Well-Known Member
That would be nice but judging by recent trends, They tend to make Animatronics of people they publicly laud but behind the scenes can't stand. I don't think Goodall has that many detractors in the company.
Sir_Cliff
Well-Known Member
Good lord. Next we'll be hearing that Disney executives secretly hate Toy Story and have only approved all those Toy Story lands and attractions because they are masochists who take pleasure from the pain of seeing so much Toy Story.
At any rate, sad to hear of Jane Goodall's passing. Disney should, indeed, be very grateful to her for her support of Disney's Animal Kingdom. I remember when the park was getting some pushback from animal rights activists when it opened, she was one of the main voices (I also remember David Bellamy) defending the project.
John park hopper
Well-Known Member
Jane Goodall may you rest in peace knowing you lives work made a difference
HMF
Well-Known Member
Well, They successfully threw the creator of Toy Story (and virtually the only defender of quality standards in the company) out.
flyerjab
Well-Known Member
Hoping that they add something to the Gorilla Falls walking path that speaks of her and her contributions to wildlife conservation. Those paths have always been old school Disney. Edutainment galore, if you actually stop to read field notes and such. They could put something here that speaks to her legacy, and not just her impact on DAK.
JohnD
Well-Known Member
Here's the plaque.
The plaque reads, "In 1980, wildlife researcher Jane Goodall observed a wild chimpanzee as it carefully stripped a stick of its leaves and inserted it into a mound to fish for termites.
This discovery that non-humans cold create tools opened a door to a previously unknown world of animal intelligence, and inspired Jane Goodall’s life-long commitment to understanding these complex, amazing primates.
To honor Jane Goodall, this likeness of the chimpanzee she called David Greybeard was created in the Tree of Life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom."
I guess they'll have to add "1934-2025" to the bottom.
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My point is that she's one of the few that realistically both deserves and qualifies for it. She isn't some random actor they want to promote, she has a record of contributing to the company that is certainly better than many we've gotten in the last decade or so. It's not just a creative award, there have been a few dozen executives over the years who have gotten the title, and others who have contributed significantly less over a significantly shorter amount of time. If she doesn't deserve it who the heck does?