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Dian FosseyAmerican zoologist
Date of Birth: 16.01.1932
Country:  USA |
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Biography of Dian Fossey
Dian Fossey was an American zoologist who was born in San Francisco, California in 1932. Her parents, George E. Fossey III, a former sailor, and Kathryn 'Kitty' Fossey, a model, divorced when she was six years old. Her mother remarried a businessman named Richard Price, and her relationship with her father eventually faded away.
Early Life
From a young age, Dian was involved in horseback riding. After graduating from Lowell High School, she enrolled in the College of Marin to study business. However, she never became a businesswoman. At the age of 19, Dian spent a summer on a ranch in Montana, where her love for animals was reignited. She decided to change her profession and entered the preparatory division of the veterinary school at the University of California, Davis. In 1954, she obtained her bachelor's degree, despite struggling with basic chemistry and physics courses.
Work and Research
Dian completed internships at several hospitals in California, including working with tuberculosis patients. She then moved to Louisville, Kentucky, where she joined the Kosair Crippled Children's Hospital. It was in Louisville that she met Mary White 'Gaynee' Henry, the wife of one of the doctors, who would become her close friend. In 1963, Dian joined Mary on a trip to Africa, where she embarked on a safari that had a profound impact on her. Over the next seven weeks, she traveled through Kenya, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, and Rwanda, where she first encountered mountain gorillas.
Dian's encounter with these majestic animals inspired her to accept an offer from renowned zoologist Louis Leakey to join his team studying gorillas. She spent 18 years living among the mountain gorillas, studying their behavior, skills, and even their culture. In addition to her scientific work, Dian also fought against the threats posed by humans, particularly poachers who showed no regard for the dwindling gorilla population.
Legacy
Dian's dedication to studying and protecting gorillas brought her international recognition. Her photograph appeared on the cover of National Geographic Magazine in January 1970, making her famous. She became the main subject of the documentary film "Gorillas in the Mist" in 1985. She earned her Ph.D. from Cambridge University in the United Kingdom in 1980 and was recognized as a leading expert in gorilla physiology and behavior. Dian lectured at Cornell University from 1981 to 1983 and wrote the bestselling book "Gorillas in the Mist," which was later adapted into a film.
Tragically, Dian's life was cut short in 1985 when she was found brutally murdered in her cabin in the Virunga Mountains of Rwanda. While her killer remained unknown, it was widely believed to be the work of local poachers seeking revenge against the fearless researcher. Dian was buried at the Karisoke Research Center, alongside her beloved gorilla companion named Digit. Memorial services were held in New York, Washington, and California. Despite her wishes for all her income, including royalties from her book, to be used in the fight against poaching, her mother successfully contested the will in court.
