May 30, 2016

Who Is Mr. H?

by Agata Gutkowska, JGI Canada Volunteer

Mr. H must be one of the world’s most well-travelled stuffed monkeys. Having swung through more than 60 countries, Mr. H is as cultured as he is adorable. He also happens to be Jane Goodall’s famous sidekick, accompanying her on all her travel adventures, whether she’s visiting a chimpanzee sanctuary in Africa or giving a lecture in Toronto.

Dr. Jane tells Jimmy Fallon the story of Mr. H.

Mr. H and Dr. Jane go back 20 years. He came into her life in 1996 as a birthday gift from a good friend named Gary Haun. Gary had been a US marine who had lost his eyesight in a helicopter crash as a young man in his twenties. But he did not allow this setback to prevent him from achieving his goals and went on to become a successful magician. Inspired by Gary’s perseverance, Jane turned her birthday present into a motivational mascot for the Jane Goodall Institute. Mr. H attracts a lot of attention wherever he goes. Held by thousands – if not millions – of people worldwide, Jane says that the hope and inspiration that Mr. H represents rubs off on every person who touches him.