Dian Fossey
An American #primatologist & #conservationist who changed the course of preservation of the mountain #gorillas.
Featuring artwork by Miler Ximena Lopez & words by Dr. Roopali Chaudhary, Sci-Illustrate Stories. Set in motion and edited by Dr. Radhika Patnala
The scene unfolds
The year is 1933, King Kong has just released on the big screen. There is a buzz in the air to watch the giant gorilla-like monster create havoc in the city of New York. The movie is the first of its kind to bring an all-original score with ambitious stop motion animation, centered around a life-like animated character; a feat in technology and innovation, ahead of its time!
The movie was an instant hit with sold out shows for days, and crowds lined up around the block. In the early 20th century, few zoos had primates in captivity, and seeing them on the big screen was a treat, and in high demand. King Kong was the manifestation of what was believed to be true about gorillas; they were aggressive violent unpredictable creatures who will attack humans without hesitation. This image did not change until Dian Fossey showed the world the true image of these peaceful shy introverted animals.
Dian Fossey was an American primatologist and conservationist who became the leading authority on mountain gorillas. Growing up in San Francisco, California as the only child to a socialite mother and a strict, but rich stepfather, Dian was not someone pictured living in a forest. But Dian had a strong affinity and love for animals, so much so that she switched from a business degree to pre-veterinarian at the University of California. However, she did not fair well in chemistry and physics in university, and ultimately became an occupational therapist graduating in 1954 from San Jose State College.
By all measures, Dian had a successful ~10 year career as an occupational therapist working as the Director of the Kosair Crippled Children’s Hospital’s occupational therapy department in Kentucky, Louisville. She lived in the outskirts of the town helping with tending to livestock and horses on the farm; it was a happy and fulfilling life. But Dian still longed to travel and see the animals around the world.
Taking the road less traveled
This urge to travel finally pushed Dian to get a bank loan in 1963, and she went on a life-changing tour to various countries in Africa. While there, as part of the tour, she was able to meet Dr. Leakey at an archaeology site, and Dr. Jane Goodall at her research institute. Dian also met Joan and Alan Root, wildlife photographers collecting footage on mountain gorillas; this was where Dian had her first encounter in observing the majestic animals. Dian later said that when she left Africa, she knew she would “return to learn more about the gorillas of the misted mountains”.
Upon returning to America, and her daily life and job, Dian wrote about her experiences in Africa publishing a number of articles and photos. Dian showed these articles to Dr. Leakey in 1966 after his visiting lecture in Louisville. This conversation got his attention, and they discussed a long-term field study of the mountain gorillas. As Leakey secured funding, Dian paid off her loan and learnt Swahili in preparation for her upcoming time in Africa.
In 1967, Dian made the trek back to Africa, excited to start her research in the jungles of Congo. After a few weeks of set up, Dian had finally realized how lonely she would really be; but determined to learn more about the mountain gorillas, she did her daily trek into the forest. Dian found the mountain gorillas were undeterred by her presence, roaming freely in the protected parks. However, her research was abruptly interrupted by political unrest in the country, and she was escorted out of the jungles.
Despite the dangerous interruption, Dian, and Leakey, decided she would restart her research in the jungles of Rwanda. Upon arrival, Dian noticed that the gorillas has been so harassed by poachers and herders that it took longer for them to trust Dian’s intrusion as safe. Dian spent 18 years, on and off, with the mountain gorillas in Rwanda, developing an unthinkable bond with them.
Sharing with the world
In 1970, Dian wrote an article for the National Geographic where she described her experiences observing and habituating the gorillas (a heart-warming read). Her methods of habituating the gorillas differed from that of Jane Goodall’s; Dian did not present “gifts” to the animals to interact with her. Rather Dian mimicked their sounds and movements to gain acceptance. She writes about recognizing them via individual “nose prints”, personalities and traits. She imitated their feeding and grooming patterns, and after having better interpretations of their sounds, mimicking their vocalizations. Many of the vocalizations Dian learned from the two orphaned gorillas, Coco and Pucker, she helped nurture back to health. Like Jane Goodall, Dian also named her gorilla companions.
Dian felt that her lack of an academic background would work against her in the world of scientific discoveries, thus she enrolled at the University of Cambridge for her PhD. Traveling between the two countries, Dian presented her observations on the mountain gorillas, capturing their gentle, playful, curious and loving side; she observed them embracing each other in a very human-like way, playing with their young and tickling them, protecting them. Dian wrote about how female gorillas transferred from group to group, hierarchies and social relationships in a group, their diet, all of which earned her a PhD in the subject in 1974. She further communicated her research findings to the general public in the book “Gorillas in the Mist” published 1983. This was later adapted into a movie (1988) with the same name.
Becoming Dian Fossey, the conservationist
“When you realize the value of all life, you dwell less on what is past and concentrate on the preservation of the future.” — Dian Fossey
A fight worth fighting
During her time in Rwanda, Dian became a passionate conservationist, actively working against poachers and scaring away local herders. Mountain gorillas were discovered in 1902, but the species has endured years of war, poaching, loss of habitat, and disease; they were predicted to go extinct before the 21st century. Dian’s persistent conservation attempts had a huge impact on protecting and reviving their population, though through controversial methods. The mountain gorillas still remains endangered today, though their population count is up to 1000 globally.
When Dian moved to Rwanda, it was one of the smallest, poorest, and most densely populated areas in Africa. Local herders and farmers cleared part of forest for greater space for their cattle and crops, causing loss of habitat for the mountain gorillas. By 1969, ~40% of the forest where the gorillas lived was cleared to grow pyrethrum, a biodegradable insecticide, for use in the West; however the market for pyrethrum diminished quickly. The habitat destroyed for a crop not in demand anymore.
Dian’s work on mountain gorillas, ironically, also evoked greater tourism to see the spectacular beasts. Tourism was a significant source of income for the Rwandan economy. Though these tourists exposed to gorillas to human diseases (the common cold could be fatal to a gorilla), and brought back hands of gorillas as mementos, a brutal and thoughtless act. Universities and museums paid for gorilla skulls or skeletons, causing an increase in poaching. Dian recognized the threat and feared the extinction of the mountain gorilla due to poaching, and resorted to extreme tactics to protect the species from poachers and tourists.
The pain of loss
Dian faced an unimaginable loss and grief when Digit, a gorilla often pictured with Dian, was found brutally killed. After this cruel death of her 10-year companion, she felt a grief as real as having a family member pass away. She knew she would never get over his death, and that was when her fight against the poachers became more personal.
Dian, from that moment forward, dedicated the rest of her life to the gorilla’s conservation. Months later, the silverback she loving named after her Uncle Bert, and a female named after her Aunt Flossie were also found dead.
Slowly, as she found her family of gorillas she had gotten close to for over a decade were being killed by poachers, Dian felt the need to intensify her anti-poaching tactics. Reluctantly, Dian used her beloved companion’s name in a commercialization attempt to raise funds for anti-poaching teams & trackers, calling it The Digit Fund.
Laying a life
In 1985, Dian was found murdered in her cabin, a murder unsolved to this day. She has been laid to rest besides her gorilla family in the forests she spent so much of her life.
Since her death, The Digit Fund has been renamed to the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International.
Dian’s research on the social structures of the mountain gorillas still influences the research ongoing today; the effects and comparisons of human interference vs. conservation tactics, and its influence on the social and behavioural structures of the gorilla groups.
Timeline
1932 Born in San Francisco, California.
1954 Graduated as an occupational therapist from San Jose State College.
1955 Moved to Louisville, Kentucky as director of the occupational therapy department at Kosair Crippled Children Hospital.
1963 Dian’s first trip to Africa. She meets with Drs. Leakey and Goodall. She also has her first encounter with mountain gorillas.
1966 Dr. Leakey comes to Louisville for a lecture where Dian convinces him of her interest in long-term field studies.
1967 Dian returns to Africa, starting in Congo for her field research. Only a few months later, she would be escorted out due to political unrest in the country. She then relocated her camp to Rwanda where she restarted her research. Here she befriends a gorilla she lovingly calls Digit.
1970 Dian enrolled in University of Cambridge as a PhD Candidate in animal behaviour.
1974 Dian graduates with her PhD.
1977 Digit is found murdered by poachers.
1980 Dian accepts a visiting professor position at Cornell University where she continued to spread awareness about the danger to mountain gorillas.
1983 Dian publishes her book, “Gorillas in the Mist”.
1985 Dian is found murdered in her cabin in Rwanda.
Editor’s note:
There are many instances in history when scientists have given up their lives to fight for what the truth is, & what they truly believe in, to stand for justice & raise a voice to change the way things are done. One of the rare instances a modern scientist had to relinquish a life to fight for change, & defend the lives of those less represented, was unfortunately, the tale of Dian Fossey.
We remember Dian Fossey as a scientist who lost her life defending living creatures that we share the planet with, demonstrating a deep connection with nature, & the grit & courage required to preserve it. Just this is worthy of enormous respect.
-Dr. Radhika Patnala
Sources:
About the author:
DR. ROOPALI CHAUDHARY
Content Editor Women in Science, Sci-Illustrate Stories
Dr. Chaudhary has an MSc in Genetics (University of Waterloo, Canada) studying Drosophila embryogenesis (fruit fly embryo development), and a PhD in Cellular & Molecular Biology (McMaster University, Canada) studying intestinal inflammation in a novel mouse model. She furthered her career in a 3-year post-doctoral fellowship studying the immune memory in food allergies (McMaster University, Canada). Dr. Chaudhary’s continually strives to make science accessible, be with through her edible science art (custom cakes), teaching or her outreach activities.
About the artist:
MILER XIMENA LÓPEZ
Contributing Artist Women in Science, Sci-Illustrate stories
Expressing myself graphically has always been a source of great satisfaction for me. With my work, I can provide many things to others in different positive ways, as well as get a lot in return, because in every goal achieved, in every process, there is a lot to learn.
About this series:
Not enough can be said about the amazing Women in Science who did and continue to do their part in moving the world forward.
Every month, through the artwork & words of the Sci-Illustrate team, we will bring to you profiles of women who touched our hearts (and brains) with their scientific works, and of many more who currently hold the flag high in their own fields!
-Dr. Radhika Patnala, Series Director
