Today, we’re sharing a special episode honouring a true explorer who we lost last week.

Dr. Jane Goodall was a pioneering primatologist, and conservationist best known for her groundbreaking work with wild chimpanzees in Tanzania. With no formal scientific training at the time, she began observing chimpanzees in 1960 and soon made discoveries that redefined our understanding of animals — including tool use, emotional depth, and complex social behavior. Over her lifetime, she became a global icon for wildlife conservation and animal welfare, and her work continues to inspire millions to protect the planet and live in harmony with nature.

Unfortunately, we were never able to get Jane on the show – that would have been a dream come true! So, it’s not an episode directly about her. But it does raise some themes that were inspired and borne from the work she did … and it does feature chimpanzees, as well as Mountain Gorillas, who as primates are our distant ancestors too.

Today, we’re going to follow Praveen Moman, one of the world's leading primate conservationists, into the Virunga Mountains of Rwanda in search of the critically endangered mountain gorilla, and to the Kyambura Gorge, in Uganda, in search of a lost troop of Chimpanzees.

Seeing mountain gorillas, or chimpanzees in the wild is one of the rarest and most inspiring wildlife experiences on the planet. There is an immediate bond, a sense of connection. And what we’ll discover is, when you look a mountain gorilla in the eye, you see yourself reflected back.

Highlights include:

- Trekking in the Virunga Mountains of Rwanda in search of the critically endangered mountain gorilla

- Hearing what it feels like to sit quietly among the troop, as babies come curiously up to explore, and the 400lb male silverback brushes past

- Walking into the Kyambura Gorge as the lost troop of Chimpanzees comes down from the canopy and surrounds you on all side- Being inspired by Praveen's story, a refugee of Uganda who returned to his beloved homeland to help rebuild one of the most war-torn regions on the planet

FIND OUT MORE

Janegoodall.org

volcanoessafaris.com

gorillafund.org

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CREDITS

Armchair Explorer is produced by ⁠Armchair Productions⁠. Aaron Millar wrote and presented the show, Charles Tyrie did the audio editing and sound design. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠.

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Check out the Smart Travel Podcast

This week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel at the Link below:

Smart Travel Podcast

JANE GOODALL SPECIAL: Trekking with Chimpanzees and Mountain Gorillas