Dian Fossey

Hello, my name is Dian Fossey, and I spent my life getting to know some of the most amazing animals on Earth: the mountain gorillas. My story begins on January 16th, 1932, when I was born in San Francisco. From the time I was a little girl, I loved animals more than anything. My biggest dream was to become a veterinarian and spend my days caring for them. Life took me on a different path at first, and I went to college to become an occupational therapist. I worked with children who needed help, which was important work, but my heart always longed for a bigger adventure. I would read books about the wild animals of Africa and imagine myself there, exploring the vast landscapes and seeing the incredible creatures I had only dreamed about.

By 1963, I had saved up all the money I could, and I finally took the trip of a lifetime to Africa. It was everything I had imagined and more. During my journey, I met a famous scientist named Dr. Louis Leakey. He was studying how humankind began, and he believed that learning about our closest animal relatives, like gorillas, could teach us about our own past. He was so passionate and knowledgeable, and he inspired me to think about a new path for my life. Dr. Leakey encouraged me to study the mountain gorillas. Later on my trip, I traveled to the Virunga Mountains. It was there, surrounded by lush green forests and swirling mist, that I saw a group of mountain gorillas for the very first time. The moment felt like a dream come true, and I knew in my heart that this was what I was meant to do.

After my trip, I couldn't stop thinking about the gorillas. I knew I had to go back. I returned to Africa to begin my research, and on September 24th, 1967, I set up my camp high in the mountains of Rwanda. I called it the Karisoke Research Center. At first, the gorillas were very shy and would run away whenever I came near. I realized that to study them, I had to earn their trust. I decided to try something unusual: I started acting like a gorilla. I would get down on my hands and knees, munch on the crunchy celery stalks they loved to eat, and even make soft, grunting sounds just like they did. Slowly, they began to understand that I was not a threat. They let me get closer and closer, and I started to learn about their families and their unique personalities. One brave silverback gorilla, whom I named Digit, became especially familiar to me.

Living in the mountains, I saw how gentle and loving the gorillas were, but I also saw the terrible dangers they faced. Poachers, who are people that hunt animals illegally, would set sharp traps in the forest. These traps were meant for other animals, but the gorillas would often get caught in them. I knew I couldn't just sit back and watch them get hurt. My work had to be about more than just studying them; I had to protect them. I began walking through the forest for miles, searching for traps and destroying them. It was dangerous work, but I had to do it. Then, in 1977, something heartbreaking happened. My dear gorilla friend, Digit, was killed by poachers. That terrible loss made me promise that I would fight even harder to save his family and all the other gorillas from harm.

I realized that the best way to save the gorillas was to get the whole world to care about them. Most people thought of gorillas as scary monsters, like in the movies. I needed to show them the truth. So, I decided to write a book about my experiences and everything I had learned. In 1983, my book, 'Gorillas in the Mist,' was published. In its pages, I shared my story of living among the gorillas and described them as I knew them: gentle, intelligent giants who had families and feelings, just like us. The book helped people see how special the gorillas were and understand why they desperately needed our help.

I lived to be 53 years old, and I spent many of my best years living high in the mountains with my gorilla family. My work did not end when my life did. The Karisoke Research Center is still there today, continuing to study and protect the animals I loved. The organization I started to raise awareness is now called the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, and it helps fund patrols to keep the gorillas safe. Because so many people learned about them from my story and decided to help, the number of mountain gorillas is slowly growing, and their future is much brighter today.