The Legacy of Dian Fossey
Discover the woman behind the successful conservation history of Mountain Gorillas in Rwanda.
Dian Fossey by Dian Fossey Gorilla FundRwanda Cultural Heritage Academy
Dian Fossey
Born in San Francisco, California in 1932, Dian Fossey is well known as a pioneering scientist who taught the world about the mountain gorillas of Rwanda and devoted her life to their protection.
She first traveled to Africa in 1963 and settled in Rwanda in 1967.
How her passion for gorillas started
After her first visit to the mountain gorillas on her trip to Africa, she learned that the famous anthropologist Dr Louis Leakey was seeking a lead for the long-term study of gorillas and jumped to the occasion. With funding from National Geographic, her dreams came true.
Creating a legacy
Under two tents in the valley between Mount Karisimbi and Bisoke, on September 24 1967, Dian established the Karisoke Research Center to study all aspects of endangered mountain gorillas and contributed to scientific knowledge about gorillas and their habitats.
Trackers off to field by Dian Fossey Gorilla FundRwanda Cultural Heritage Academy
Dian the pioneer of active conservation
Realizing how few mountain gorillas remained and the threats they faced, Dian was eager to make immediate impact. She launched active conservation, hired teams, removed poacher’s snares and attempted to scare people away from gorillas' territory and removed traps.
Mountain GorillaRwanda Cultural Heritage Academy
A cabin in the Virunga mountain.
Settled in the Virunga mountains, this is where after long days in the forest Dian would return to type her handwritten notes from the day. She lived alone, trekking in the cold misty weather. She studied individuals and families as well as the behavior of gorillas.
The Gorilla in the mist star “Digit”
Dian Fossey encountered a young gorilla named Digit in 1967, forming a unique bond described in her book "Gorillas in the Mist." Digit's tragic death by poachers in 1977 inspired Dian to establish The Digit Fund, now the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, to fight for gorilla protection.
Sustaining the legacy: Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund
Dian's tragic murder in 1985 fueled her legacy. The Digit Fund was renamed the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund in her honor in 1992. In 2001, the Fund expanded its conservation efforts to protect the endangered Grauer's gorillas in eastern DR Congo.
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Sustaining the legacy, a hub for researchers
The Fossey Fund is a hub for researchers and students from around the world to study gorillas and their unique habitat. The Fund also operates community programs for food, security, education and supports livelihoods.
Sustaining the Legacy: Community Involvement
The Fossey Fund's motto is "Helping people. Saving gorillas" because they believe that for conservation to be successful and sustainable, local communities must be involved.
The Fund has been helping the local community in different sectors to improve their livelihood, and reduce their dependence on the gorillas' forest home.
Ellen Degeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund by Ellen Degeneres Campus of Dian Fossey Gorilla FundRwanda Cultural Heritage Academy
The Future: Ellen Degeneres Campus
To continue Dian's legacy, Ellen DeGeneres and her wife Portia de Rossi provided a lead gift to Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, creating a research and learning facility named the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla fund. It officially opened on June 7, 2022
Content contributors/ development: The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund
Curatorial layout: Chantal Umuhoza
Photography: Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund
https://gorillafund.org/who-we-are/dian-fossey/legacy/
