Dian Fossey was born in January 1932 in San Francisco, California. She became one of the most well known primatologists in the world, dedicating her life to studying and protecting mountain gorillas in the Virunga Mountains of Africa.
Fossey was one of three members of a group called the “Trimates,” formed by Louis Leakey to study apes in their natural habitats. Each woman focused on a different species: Jane Goodall studied chimpanzees, Dian Fossey studied mountain gorillas, and Biruté Galdikas studied orangutans.
Fossey was born to Kathryn “Kitty” and George E. Fossey III. Her parents divorced when she was very young, and she grew up with a stepfather who did not treat her as his own child. Her love for animals began when she kept a pet goldfish as a young girl.
Dian first studied business in college but later enrolled in a pre-veterinary biology course at the University of California. Although she loved the course, she struggled with physics and chemistry and did not pass her second year. She then transferred to San Jose State College and studied occupational therapy.
First Trip to Africa
Fossey was first invited to Africa by an acquaintance named Henry, but she couldn’t go due to a lack of funds. In 1963, she borrowed $8,000 and used all her savings for a seven-week trip to Africa, visiting Kenya, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, guided by Alexander John.
In Kenya, Dian met wildlife photographer Alan Root and his wife, who allowed her to camp near them. It was there that she first saw mountain gorillas. After returning home to repay her loans, she wrote three articles about her trip to Africa.
Later, Dian met Louis Leakey during one of his visits to the United States. He encouraged her to return to Africa and study mountain gorillas, much as Jane Goodall was doing with chimpanzees in Tanzania.
Founding the Karisoke Research Center
With support from Leakey and help from Joan Root, Dian returned to Africa in 1966. She also visited Jane Goodall to learn research methods, and started her work in Kabara, Congo, in 1967.
On July 9, 1967, a political uprising broke out in Kivu Province. Soldiers arrested Dian and her team and held them at Rumangabo for several weeks. She was advised not to return to Congo, so she restarted her study on the Rwandan side of the Virunga Mountains.
In September 1967, Dian Fossey founded the Karisoke Research Center, named after Mount Karisimbi and Mount Bisoke. She spent most of her time in the mountains, and local people began calling her “Nyirmachabelli,” meaning “the woman who lives alone on the mountain.”
The Fight Against Poaching
At the time, poaching of gorillas was illegal but not well controlled. Dian often witnessed the killing of gorillas: infants were captured, mothers were killed, and silverbacks died trying to protect their families.
In 1979, Dian funded patrols to destroy poachers’ traps in the park. In just four months, 987 traps were destroyed. She also stopped two baby gorillas from being moved from Rwanda to a zoo in Germany.
Dian was strongly against poaching. On New Year’s Eve in 1977, her favorite gorilla, Digit, was killed by poachers. Digit was badly injured but managed to kill one of the poachers and their dogs, giving his group a chance to escape.
Digit’s death deeply affected Dian. She created the Digit Fund to raise money for anti-poaching efforts, and she and her team began cutting traps as soon as they were set, taking strong action against poachers, including capturing and punishing some of them.
Death and Legacy
In December 1985, Dian Fossey was killed in her cabin in the Virunga Mountains. Her last diary entry read: “When you realize the value of life, you dwell less on what is past and concentrate on the preservation of the future.” She was buried at Karisoke, near the graves of her gorilla friends.
Dian Fossey made a lasting contribution to saving mountain gorillas at a time when their numbers were nearly gone, and her work continues to shape gorilla conservation efforts across Rwanda, Uganda, and Congo today. Her legacy is part of what makes our Rwanda tours such a meaningful experience for visitors today.
