What Was Jane Goodall's Cause of Death? How Conservationist Passed Away in Her Sleep at Age 91

Jane Goodall's official cause of death has been revealed less than one month after her sad passing.

The famed conservationist died from cardiac arrest, also known as cardiopulmonary arrest, according to a death certificate obtained by TMZ.

Goodall was found dead in her sleep in Los Angeles at age 91 on October 1.

A statement from the Jane Goodall Institute at the time of her passing revealed the animal welfare advocate died "peacefully" and naturally while in Southern California on a speaking tour.

Her institute additionally reflected on how Goodall's "discoveries as an ethologist revolutionized science," as she became the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees after studying them in the wild for decades at Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania.

Goodall's "life and work not only made an indelible mark on our understanding of chimpanzees and other species, but also of humankind and the environments we all share," a tribute shared on her institute's website read.

"She inspired curiosity, hope and compassion in countless people around the world, and paved the way for many others," the message continued.

Goodall is survived by her one son, Hugo "Grub," and three grandchildren: Merlin, Angel, and Nick.

She welcomed her only child with ex-husband Hugo van Lawick in 1967 in Nairobi, Kenya. They divorced in 1974 after 10 years of marriage.

Goodall went on to marry Tanzanian parks director Derek Bryceson, who was also a cabinet member in Tanzania's government, in 1975. He devastatingly died five years later due to "horrible cancer."

Goodall spoke about her two marriages during an interview with People in 2020.

"If I hadn't married him, there wouldn't be a Gombe today," she reflected in reference to her second husband. "If Hugo hadn't come along, the chimp story [probably] would have ended. Unfortunately, they were both extremely jealous. Both of them. Even jealous of women friends. They were really jealous and possessive... How I could do it twice? I don't know."

Goodall was well accomplished by the time she died, authoring more than 27 books for adults and children and starring in several wildlife documentaries and films — including two major IMAX productions.

"In 2019, National Geographic opened Becoming Jane, a traveling exhibit focused on her life’s work, which is still touring across the United States. Her latest publication, The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times, has been translated into more than 20 languages," a memo on her institute's website explains.

"Her awards and accolades span the scale of human achievement. In 2002, she was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace. Two years later, she was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) at Buckingham Palace," the tribute continued.

Goodall was additionally "awarded the United States Presidential Medial of Freedom, French Légion d’honneur, the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Life Science, Japan’s prestigious Kyoto Prize, the Ghandi-King Award for Nonviolence, The Medal of Tanzania, and the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement."