The number of mountain gorillas in the world is increasing—the incredible legacy of Dian Fossey, who was murdered 40 years ago on Boxing Day 1985.
Dian Fossey with her beloved gorilla in Rwanda (Image: Sipa/REX/Shutterstock)
The number of rare mountain gorillas in the world continues to grow – this is the extraordinary legacy of Dian Fossey, who was murdered exactly 40 years ago.
Sigourney Weaver’s portrayal of Diane in the hit film Gorillas in the Mist cemented her global fame.
The Oscar-nominated film tells the story of his incredible conservation work for mountain gorillas and how he was gruesomely murdered in Rwanda on Boxing Day 1985.
And now the charity set up in his name has revealed that the work Foley started all those years ago is paying giant dividends and the mountain gorillas’ numbers continue to rise.
Dian Fossey with her beloved gorilla in Rwanda (Image: AP)
There are now an estimated 1,000 mountain gorillas in the world, up from only 400 when Dian was alive. Cephalex Ndagizimana, country director of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund in Rwanda, said,
“She would also be surprised to see that mountain gorillas are the only non-human great ape population in the world whose numbers are increasing in the wild.
“I think Dian Fossey would be amazed to see that the research centre she started in 1967 is now a world-renowned research institution with over 200 Rwandan staff members.”
Dian, 53, was murdered in her cabin at the Karisoke Research Center, where she had spent 18 years studying gorillas. He was murdered with a knife.
Daily Mirror coverage of the search for Dian Fossey’s killer
While the research assistant was convicted by a local court, it has always been widely believed that he was killed by poachers angered by his conservation work. Hunters buried him in the same cemetery after his death.
The film Gorillas in the Mist was released four years later and was nominated for five Oscars. She must have been very pleased to see Dianne’s work become so successful after 40 years.
American actress Sigourney Weaver as conservationist Dian Fossey (Image: Getty Images) )
Dr Tara Stoinski, President of the Fossey Fund, said, “Diane dedicated her life to saving gorillas, and we are honoured to continue and expand this important work while never forgetting her legacy.
“We are deeply grateful for his most enduring legacy: showing the world that it is possible to save a species from the brink of extinction.
His life’s work is a reminder that conservation takes courage, perseverance, and the will of all of us.
American actress Sigourney Weaver as naturalist Dian Fossey. (Image: Getty Images )
“As we look back on the 40 years since her death, we celebrate her courage and perseverance. We are especially proud of her work, which involved decades of intensive, daily on-the-ground protection measures.
The mountain gorilla’s success story is remarkable, thanks to the on-the-ground protection measures taken by Dayan, especially at a time when more than one million species are at risk of extinction forever.
Dianne revealed that her early research required patience. To win the trust of the gorillas, he started imitating their behaviour. In 1984, she told the BBC’s Woman’s Hour:
“I’m a shy person, and I thought gorillas were also somewhat inhibited.” So I copied their natural, normal behaviour, like feeding, chewing celery stalks or scratching themselves.”
American actress Sigourney Weaver as naturalist Dian Fossey. (Image: Getty Images )
She said she had to learn her lesson quickly. “I made the mistake of chest-beating in the beginning… because by chest-beating I was telling the gorillas that I was anxious, just as they were telling me that they were anxious when they did chest-beating.”
A spokesperson for the charity said, “Thanks to the work he started, the mountain gorilla population he studied and so diligently defended is not only surviving but thriving.
His vision has grown into a powerful movement that advances conservation science and conservation efforts.
“At the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, we still value the principles laid out by Dian decades ago. She once wrote:
‘One of the basic steps to saving an endangered species is to learn more about it: its diet, its mating and reproductive processes, its range patterns, its social behavior.’
“Today, we have accomplished that goal and much more.” We have now studied six generations of mountain gorilla families.
including descendants of the same individuals Fossey knew well – Digit, Pablo, Titus, Effie, Poppy, Kentsby and many others.
Dian Fossey’s grave in Rwanda
“From them, we have gained deep insights into their behaviour, ecology, and relationships—knowledge that has enriched both conservation and our understanding of our own species.”
In fact, the long-term research database that Fossey began nearly 60 years ago forms the foundation of much of what is known scientifically about mountain gorillas.
His final diary entry expressed his understanding of the importance of looking ahead: he wrote, ‘When you realize the value of all life, you focus less on the past and more on preserving the future.’
