The star of “Jane” on Apple TV+ isn’t Jane Goodall, but 11-year-old Ava Louise Murchison, who plays a child named Jane. She uses her imagination to pursue eco-justice adventures with her toy chimpanzee, Greybeard. But young Jane has much in common with Goodall, who guided the kids’ series: taking direct action to help wildlife.
Murchison told the New York Times the experience inspired her to become a pescatarian and to avoid buying plastic, but we wanted to know what she learned about chimps. “I learned that chimps use tools to get their food,” she told us via email. “They pick up thin twigs and take the leaves off to fish for termites.”
“I think that chimps who have been used for experiments or movies should be taken care of,” says Murchison. “No animal should have to go through that. We should also share their stories to raise awareness and provide care for them through volunteer work or donations in sanctuaries.”
Here’s the young star in Save the Chimps’ new t-shirt, which can be ordered in our online store.
When asked her favorite anecdote about working with Jane she said “I really loved working with her when in 2022, and then when she saw me in 2023 (now) she said “Wow you look so much more grown up, you are much taller.”
“Jane Goodall’s favourite animal is dog, and an interesting anecdote is that she would have studied any single animal in Africa but it was Dr. Leakey, her mentor who asked her if she would study chimpanzees. She said she got lucky and that David Greybeard, the first chimp that she met in 1960, taught her a lot, how much they are similar to us.”
“I hope that the kids and adults who watch Jane are inspired to save the planet and animals.”