The primatologist who started it all

Dr. Dian Fossey

For more than 20 years, Dr. Dian Fossey lived among the mountain gorillas of Rwanda, at first studying the great apes and then, slowly becoming their friend and protector.

A respected and pioneering primatologist, Dr. Dian Fossey soon became best-known for her gorilla conservation work. Despite facing both economic and political obstacles, she successfully fought to establish the first dedicated ranger patrols. Alongside her research and frontline conservation, she also made it her mission to bring the plight of the great apes to the world’s attention.

Saving the "Gorilla's in the Mist"

Though Dr. Dian Fossey’s robust approach to conservation and fierce determination to safeguard the gorillas she lived alongside may have been controversial and even made her a few enemies, there’s no doubt that she played a vital role in saving mountain gorillas from extinction.

In 1978, she established the Digit Fund, named after one of her favourite gorillas, Digit, who was brutally murdered by poachers that same year. The Digit Fund helped finance vital ranger patrols, keeping gorillas safe from hunters. Meanwhile her autobiography and the 1987 Hollywood movie inspired, “Gorillas in the Mist“, helped make gorilla conservation a global concern.

Her legacy lives on

Tragically, Dr. Dian Fossey died in 1985, killed in the lush forests she had called home for two decades.

However, her legacy lives on. Her work inspired a new generation of African conservationists, giving the gorillas new hope. The original Digit Fund laid the foundations for The Gorilla Organization, which has been working with communities to safeguard gorillas for more than 30 years.

Find out more about Dr Dian Fossey’s life below,

Gorillas in the Mist

Dr Dian Fossey’s legacy continues to this day.  Her story of determination to protect gorillas has been heard around the world.  In 1988, a film titled ‘Gorillas in the mist’ was released telling Dian’s story.

Portrayed by Sigourney Weaver, this movie, based on Dian’s autobiography, tells the story of Dian travelling to Africa, where she studies the gorillas of Rwanda and Uganda. Through her research she develops a close bond with the gorillas.  Determined to protect the gorillas from poachers, she creates a defence league, but in return put herself in great danger.

Find out more about Gorillas in the Mist.

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