Seven weeks
ago I promised I would write about the book Gorillas
in the Mist by Dian Fossey. After my
post on Unforgotten, I was curious to
learn more.
As you may remember from my post, Dian
Fossey worked as an occupational therapist at a Children’s Hospital in Louisville,
Kentucky, where she is still remembered for her kindness and the excellent care
she provided to children with polio. In 1967 she embarked on a new life to
research gorillas in Africa.
Gorillas in the Mist elucidates her fifteen years of scientific observations of various mountain gorilla families across three generations in the rain forests of the volcanic Virunga Mountains shared by Zaire, Rwanda and Uganda. Her meticulous work is clearly reflected in her writing. There are many interesting aspects to highlight about her book.
I was enthralled by the way she describes each
individual gorilla. Her descriptions show that each gorilla is a unique
individual with personal motivations, talents and personality. Their families
and social bonds are defended fiercely. Her research indicates that poachers and human encroachment affect
the gorillas’ behaviors and interactions.
Dian Fossey started her research living in a simple tent amid the forest in Congo. Her strong work ethic and her zeal for understanding and protecting gorillas shine on every page. Her curious mind and impassioned spirit are forces of inspiration.
Both National Geographic and the Leakey Foundation provided funding and support for her research.
Due to persecutions and war Dian moved
to Rwanda, where she later settled in a small cabin. As time went by, her team
grew, and she relied on the collaboration of other people to help her save the
gorillas from the attacks of poachers. It was fascinating to read about how
different people adapted-- or not-- to the high standards she expected of them
when they agreed to join her team.
Dr. Dian Fossey constantly struggled to defend the gorillas from the senseless cruelty of the poachers, who hid traps in the forests. Her team had to search for the traps to save the gorillas’ lives. Besides, Dian Fossey protected the lives of other creatures—not just gorillas.
In some ways her book reminds me of The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony, which I wrote about in 2015, but
Gorillas in the Mist contains unique scientific data that were obtained after
years of intense research. It also
includes an appendix with additional information about gorilla food types, parasitology
reports, gorilla vocalizations and autopsies.
Dr Fossey’s book was first published in 1983.
Thanks to her work, mountain gorillas continue to exist today. Yet they are
critically endangered.
In 1985
Dr. Fossey was murdered. The primary suspect of her murder is the person who
was convicted of being one of the masterminds of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.(Strangely
enough, he was later set free). Not surprisingly, the evidence at the crime
scene of her killing was distorted and erased. Innocent people were blamed for
Dr. Fossey’s murder, and their lives were ruined. Feel free to check the
wonderful documentary made by National Geographic on this issue; I’m sharing the link to it at the bottom of this post.
The man who ordered the killing of Dr. Fossey
is still free. You can read about this disturbing situation here. However, the
hate of the man responsible for this atrocity was not able to extinguish the light
of Dian Fossey's indomitable spirit, because her legacy continues to live on in the
resilient team of trackers who work tirelessly to protect and support gorillas
and their natural habitats.
Let’s not forget that those forests are not
only the home of the gorillas. The rich ecosystems that
belong to these forests are also vital to the survival of humanity.
You can
learn more about the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund here.
If you
enjoyed this post, feel free to check my writing on the following books:
Reflections of Eden by Birute Galdikas
The Wisdom of Wolves by Jim and Jamie Dutcher
The documentary "Secrets in the Mist" was made by National Geographic, and here's a link to it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oh_oDr8vg-Y
