The Fossey Fund Honors Dian’s 80th Birthday

One of “Leakey’s Angels”, a legend in both the world of primatology and conservation, would have turned 80 years old today, had her life not been cut short late one December night at the former Karisoke site, nestled between Mount Karisimbi and Mount Visoke. Dian Fossey was a tenacious, passionate woman who garnered the attention of the world to help save an important species from extinction. Although her death happened over a quarter of a century ago, her battle to save the endangered mountain gorillas carries on, through the work of The Fossey Fund and a handful of other important conservation organizations.

The Fossey Fund (created by Dian in 1977 and formerly called the Digit Fund in honor of her favorite gorilla, who was slain by poachers) has seen many changes over the years and has grown and evolved to become an internationally renowned conservation organization. With a purpose in capacity building within the country of Rwanda, the Fossey Fund achieved it’s ultimate success this year: naming a Rwandan researcher as the director of the Karisoke Research Center. Congratulations to Felix Ndagijimana on being promoted to Director of Karisoke!

For more information about The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International and the Karisoke Research Center,
please click here.