During a recent conference call, famed British primatologist, Jane Goodall expressed her thoughts on the COVID-19 pandemic. Ahead of the new National Geographic documentary "Jane Goodall: The Hope" she shared what she believes is the root of the outbreak.
She was asked how her thoughts on the pandemic and said that she believes an overall disregard and mistreatment of nature and animals has led to this.
"Because as we destroy, let's say the forest, the different species of animals in the forest are forced into a proximity and therefore diseases are being passed from one animal to another, and that second animal is then most likely to infect humans as it is forced into closer contact with humans.
It's also the animals who are hunted for food, sold in markets in Africa or in the meat market for wild animals in Asia, especially China, and our intensive farms where we cruelly crowd together billions of animals around the world. These are the conditions that create an opportunity for the viruses to jump from animals across the species barrier to humans," Goodall said.
She explained that moving forward, humans have to realize we are part of the natural world. Our lives and the lives of future generations depend on the protection of the natural world. She hopes that people will "wake up and eventually they can start thinking about ways they can live their lives differently."
Goodall believes everyone can make an impact every single day if they just consider the consequences of all the little choices they make.