Dian Fossey

mountain gorillas

She observed them at close range in the Virunga volcanoes for over 18 years.

💡 Did you know? Fossey won the trust of wild mountain gorillas by imitating their sounds and gestures: until the animals tolerated her beside them.

Rwanda

She had briefly worked in the Congo before, but had to flee due to political unrest.

💡 Did you know? In the Virunga Mountains of Rwanda, Fossey founded her Karisoke research station at around 3,000 metres.

Karisoke

The name combines the two volcanoes Karisimbi and Bisoke, between which the station sat at around 3,000 metres.

💡 Did you know? The Karisoke Research Center still operates today, run by the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund.

Louis Leakey

Leakey championed three women in great-ape research: Jane Goodall (chimpanzees), Dian Fossey (gorillas) and Birutė Galdikas (orangutans).

💡 Did you know? The palaeoanthropologist Louis Leakey sponsored three women in primate research: Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey and Biruté Galdikas.

occupational therapist

For her first trip to Africa in 1963 she took out a loan and spent her entire savings.

💡 Did you know? Fossey had no training in biology: an occupational therapist, she first went to Africa merely as a tourist.

Gorillas in the Mist

The 1988 film adaptation starring Sigourney Weaver brought her story to millions.

💡 Did you know? Her book „Gorillas in the Mist“ was filmed in 1988 with Sigourney Weaver, making the mountain gorillas famous worldwide.

Digit

After his death she founded the Digit Fund to finance anti-poaching patrols.

💡 Did you know? Digit got his name from an injured finger.

poaching

She destroyed thousands of traps and pursued poachers on her own if necessary: making herself many enemies.

💡 Did you know? Fossey destroyed traps and openly confronted poachers: her fight made her powerful enemies.

Nyiramachabelli

Local people called Fossey „Nyiramachabelli“: „the woman who lives alone in the forest.“

💡 Did you know? The nickname is engraved on her tombstone.

murdered (at Karisoke)

The crime has never been conclusively solved; much points to a connection with her fight against poaching.

💡 Did you know? In 1985 Fossey was murdered in her cabin: the case was never solved; poachers are suspected.

at Karisoke next to Digit

She had created the little cemetery herself to bury gorillas killed by poachers.

💡 Did you know? Fossey was buried at Karisoke beside Digit, her favourite gorilla, whom poachers had killed.

growing mountain gorilla population

Thanks to the protection for which Fossey gave her life, the population of the endangered mountain gorillas is growing again today.

💡 Did you know? In the 1980s only about 250 mountain gorillas remained in the Virungas: today the total is back above 1,000.