A GOOD-NATURED WARNING GOODALL WHOOPS IT UP AT L.A. ZOO.

Byline: SUSAN ABRAM Staff Writer

GRIFFITH PARK -- Renowned primatologist Jane Goodall stepped up to the podium with the gentle ease of a dignitary.

With her silver hair woven neatly into her trademark ponytail, Goodall was about to tell a gathering at the L.A. Zoo Sunday about the serious threats facing her beloved chimpanzees in the jungles of Tanzania.

But before tackling such serious issues, the 72-year-old ape expert greeted her guests with a primordial scream.

``Woop whooooo! Woop whooooo!'' a gleeful Goodall chirped in the language of the great apes she has closely studied for nearly five decades.

That bit of monkey business caused children and parents alike to erupt into cheers for a woman whose groundbreaking work with chimpanzees helped open the eyes and warm the hearts of humans to their distant cousins.

As part of Ape Awareness Day at the zoo, Goodall's brief appearance attracted throngs eager to see in person the tender, English woman and star of countless documentaries, magazine articles and books they remember from school.

Dozens of children sat cross-legged and knee to knee in front of her as she shared stories of how she earned money as a waitress to pay for her way to live in Africa to begin to observe chimpanzees in 1960.

As a girl, she had fallen in love with the stories of Tarzan and ``was jealous of that stupid, wimpy other Jane he married.''

She told her audience of the first time she gained the trust of a chimp, how he let her watch him use and make tools. She learned of their devotion to family, their eagerness to learn, and how they engaged in warfare to protect turf from other chimps.

``It was sad to see that chimpanzees, like us, have a dark side,'' she said. ``When I learned about this, I realized they were a lot like us.''

Goodall, who was named ``Messenger of Peace'' in 2002 for the United Nations, travels to schools and events 300 days out of the year to teach children about the importance of conservation and environmental responsibility.

She explained how the logging industry has chopped away at natural habitat, how the growth of poverty in Africa has led to many wars, and the greed of poachers who sell animal parts on the black market for giant profits. In just 47 years, she said, the chimpanzee population has shrunk: from a million to 200,000.

``It's sad, therefore, that chimpanzees, so much like us, are being driven to extinction in the world,'' she said. ``In the wild, they are dying.''

For many children in the audience, Goodall's appearance was a dream come true. Animal lover and seventh-grader Michael Aronson of Brentwood said he had learned about Goodall through his parents.

``I'd like to work with animals, maybe as a zookeeper,'' said the pensive 11-year-old. ``It looks really cool.''

For grown women, Goodall is a hero.

``I loved her since I was a child,'' Alison Gann said. ``She inspired me.''

Amy Callister, a zoo docent for 38 years, had a special reason for meeting Goodall. Callister carried a folded, typewritten letter in her jacket pocket, written by the primatologist. Callister's husband, Thomas, a physician, once examined Goodall for a sore throat. When he died four months ago, Callister's son wrote to Goodall, who responded with the letter.

Callister showed her the letter, and Goodall comforted her.

``It makes me want to cry,'' Callister said. ``Sharing the letter with her helps me to move forward.''

For Goodall, seeing the way she is greeted by youth is still an unexpected thrill.

``In this day and age, when rock stars are greeted the way the are, and I've done nothing except to sit in a jungle, I am still amazed,'' she said. ``It gives me hope.''

susan.abram(at)dailynews.com

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(1 -- 2) Jane Goodall, a renowned primatologist, visits the Los Angeles Zoo during Ape Awareness Day on Sunday. She signs autographs for young fans after giving a lecture at the Treetops Terrace. Below, a chimp at the zoo.

John McCoy/Staff Photographer