New Delhi: Celebrating the 82nd birthday of American zoologist Dian Fossey, Google has posted a doodle on its homepage. The doodle features a large number of gorillas and Dian Fossey taking notes. Dian Fossey was an American zoologist who undertook a comprehensive study of gorilla groups over a period of 18 years. She studied them in the mountain forests of Rwanda.
According to the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, which is dedicated to the conservation and protection of gorillas, Dian Fossey's early interest in animals and her childhood dream of becoming a veterinarian led her to San Jose State College. While in college she changed her major to occupational therapy; however, her love for animals never faltered, and she was at the same time becoming increasingly interested in Africa.
In 1963, while on a six-week sabbatical in Africa, Fossey met Dr. Louis Leakey, who spoke urgently about the need for research on the great apes. Under the direction of Leakey, Fossey agreed to undertake a long-term field study of the mountain gorillas.
In 1966, Fossey won support and funding from the National Geographic Society and the Wilkie Brothers' Foundation for a research program in the Congo (then Zaire). Due to intense political upheaval and rebellion in Zaire, Fossey left and moved to Rwanda. In 1967, she founded the Karisoke Research Center in Rwanda's Parc National des Volcans, between two volcanoes: Mt. Karisimbi and Mt. Visoke.
For many years, Fossey conducted research from her base camp in the mountains, located approximately 10,000 feet above sea level. Fossey's intense observations and study of the mountain gorillas over thousands of hours brought new information to the scientific community.
In 1983, Fossey published Gorillas in the Mist, an account of her life and work at Karisoke. The book became an international best seller. A movie based on the book was released in 1988. The film, starring Sigourney Weaver as Dian Fossey, achieved great popular success and helped attract public support for Fossey's work.
Fossey was killed in 1985 in her cabin at Karisoke. The name of the Digit Fund was changed after her death to the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International. In subsequent years her legacy has grown through the Fossey Fund's programs, which are dedicated to the conservation and protection of gorillas and their habitats in Africa.
Founded in 1978, the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International is committed to conservation and protection of gorillas and their habitats in Africa. The organization's rescue, rehabilitation, tracking, and anti-poaching patrol initiatives help ensure the survival of gorillas. The Fossey Fund also collaborates with other international organisations to promote research on gorillas and provide education about their relevance to the world in which we live.
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