JANE GOODALL GETS HER OWN BARBIE
The world’s favourite primatologist Jane Goodall has been unveiled as the latest Barbie doll.
Mattel Inc recently unveiled that Goodall’s longtime dream of having her own doll to inspire young girls has been fulfilled.
Goodall’s doll is made from recycled plastic and forms part of the toymaker’s Inspiring Women Series. The doll is a nod to Goodall’s groundbreaking studies of chimpanzees.
The Barbie version of Goodall is dressed in a khaki shirt and shorts while holding a notebook. The doll also wears a pair of binoculars around her neck.
By her side is a replica of the first chimpanzee to trust the primatologist as she conducted her research at Gombe National Park, in what is now Tanzania and east Africa.
The chimpanzee was called David Graybeard.
“When I got to Gombe, it was beautiful, my dream had come true,” she said. “But for four months the chimps ran away from me… so although the forest was wonderful, I couldn’t enjoy it until this David Greybeard lost his fear and helped the others to lose their fear too.”
Goodall shared her joys over the Barbie version of herself with Reuters:
“I wanted a doll to be me even before this idea came up. I’ve seen… little girls playing with Barbie dolls and certainly at the beginning, they were all very girly girly and I thought little girls need… some choice.”
Image credit: Eastern Eye