Dian Fossey: Protector of the Gorillas

Dr. Dian Fossey, author of Gorillas in the Mist and No One Loved Gorillas More, was a researcher and activist for gorillas. Throughout her life, she fought for the protection of the gorillas and the conservation of their homes. Prior to Fossey’s work, gorillas were thought to be brutish and violent creatures; however, Fossey’s groundbreaking work demonstrated to the world that gorillas are gentle beings. She showed that like humans, gorillas have personality and complex social lives.

She was born in San Francisco, California., in 1932. When she was young, her parents divorced and she was moved in with her mother and stepfather. As a student, Fossey excelled and expressed interest in animals, nature, and geography. After graduating from San Jose State College, with an occupational therapy degree, she began work at Kosair Crippled Children Hospital. At this time, she stayed at a cottage on a farm. The owners of the farm encouraged her to work with the animals. Fossey enjoyed this experience, and it inspired her to see the world and its abundant wildlife.

Fossey dreamed of visiting Africa; unfortunately, she could not afford this, so for many years she saved money and took out a bank loan. In September 1963, she arrived in Kenya. Fossey visited many sites including Kenya, Tanzania, Congo, and Zimbabwe. While on her travels, she met with the world-renowned paleoanthropologist and archaeologist Dr. Louis Leakey which, according to her, was a pivotal moment in her career. He suggested she visit an excavation site at Olduvai Gorge. While she was there, she fell into a hole and broke her ankle. Despite the injury’s interference, she became more determined to climb the mountain with gorillas.

Accompanied by a team of wildlife photographers, Fossey traveled to the Virunga Mountains where she began her climb to see the gorillas. After days in the forest, she came across her first-ever gorilla. This gave her the chance to observe and photograph the great ape.

Soon after, she returned to work at the children’s hospital back in Kentucky. While there, Fossey began publishing articles and photographs from her time in Africa. In 1966, these articles attracted the attention of Dr. Louis Leakey, who invited her to speak with him at a convention. Later he offered her the chance to head a long-term field project to study the mountain gorillas in Africa. This was on the condition that she first remove her appendix, and she did. Leakey later says he was testing her determination. Almost a year later, Leakey had secured the funds necessary for the expedition in The Virunga Mountains. She arrived in Nairobi, Kenya, and spent the first few days gathering the provisions necessary for the trip. On her way, she passed through Tanzania and met primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall.

Soon after she started her expedition, Senwekwe, a gorilla tracker, joined Fossey’s party, and her chances increased of seeing gorillas. As time passed, Fossey settled into the new conditions. She had a 7-foot by 10-foot tent for all her business. Her meals consisted of mainly potatoes, and occasionally fruits and other vegetables. Once a month she would take a long hike to her rover, and drive to a nearby town to restock.

As the expedition continued, Fossey identified three mountain gorilla groups in her area along the slopes of Mt. Mikeno. She soon gained the acceptance of the gorillas by imitating their actions. She learned to identify the gorillas by physical characteristics. Fossey continued her work for seven months; until, she was driven out by the political unrest in the Congo. For two weeks, she was under military guard by soldiers who helped her escape to Uganda in exchange for cash. In Uganda, Fossey was interrogated and warned not to return to the Congo. Fossey went to Nairobi to meet with Dr. Leakey and the two decided (against the advice of the U.S. Embassy) that Fossey should continue her work, but this time on the Rwandan side of the Virungas.

On Sept. 24, 1967, Dian Fossey established the Karisoke Research Center in Rwandan. Here she worked, with the help of local people, to study mountain gorillas. In 1968, she partially habituated four groups of gorillas. This center caught the attention of National Geographic, who sent Ian Redmond a photographer whose photos attracted much attention. And in 1970 the gorillas and Fossey were featured on the cover of National Geographic magazine.

By this time, Fossey felt she did not have the necessary qualifications to proceed in her work. She enrolled in the department of animal behavior at Darwin College, Cambridge, in 1970. She continued to travel between Cambridge and Africa; until she completed her Ph.D. in zoology.

As Fossey gained scientific acknowledgment, she became increasingly aware of the threats facing the gorillas. She fought poachers by wearing masks to scare them, burning snares, spray-painting cattle to discourage herders from bringing them into the park, and taking on poachers directly through confrontation. The locals found these tactics annoying, as they were struggling to make money. She was called “the witch of the Virgungas” by some of the locals. Additionally, the park wardens were unequipped to protect the gorillas. So, Fossey used her personal money to help purchase the necessary resources and convince the park wardens to be more active. Her work started the Karisoke anti-poaching patrols, whose job was to protect the gorillas in the area.

Fossey was close to all the gorillas on the mountain, but one, in particular, stood out. Digit was a male gorilla whom Fossey had formed a strong attachment to. When Digit was violently killed by poachers, Fossey used his death to start the Digit Fund to raise money for the gorillas. Today the fund is called the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International. In 1980 she moved to New York and wrote the novel Gorillas in the mist.

A few weeks before her 54th birthday, Fossey visited Rwanda. There she was murdered, by a double hit in the head with a machete. Someone had broken into her cabin; however, there was no sign of a robbery. There are several theories for the cause of her murder, but none have been proven. Fossey was laid to rest among Digit and her other gorilla companions. Even after her death, her foundation is continuing to collect donations, and conduct research.

Dr. Dian Fossey was a brave woman in science, whose work has positively impacted the lives of many gorillas today. Despite the dangers, she still dedicated her life to the protection of the wild.

Works Cited

Akpan, Nsikan. “Dian Fossey and Jane Goodall Changed How We Saw Primates. These New Movies Change How We See Them.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 7 Dec. 2017, www.pbs.org/newshour/science/dian-fossey-and-jane-goodall-changed-how-we-saw-primates-these-new-movies-change-how-we-see-them.

“A Charity Providing Access to Clean Water in Africa.” The Water Project, thewaterproject.org/.

“Dian Fossey.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 22 Dec. 2020, www.britannica.com/biography/Dian-Fossey.

“Dian Fossey Biography.” Dian Fossey, 14 July 2020, gorillafund.org/who-we-are/dian-fossey/dian-fossey-bio/.