When she was alive, Dian Fossey opposed strongly against ¹wildlife tourism. In her opinion, she regarded wildlife tourism as prisons for the animals, holding them in captivity and depriving them of their truly natural habitat.

Credit: Flickr User: Philip Kromer

Gorillas are also very susceptible to human ²anthroponotic diseases as they do not have immunity to them. Many cases of gorillas’ death due to this particular reason were also reported by Fossey.

Fossey also condemned tourist programs to be interfering both her research and the peaceful habitat of her mountain gorillas.

However, in the present day, the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International recognizes the importance of tourism in helping to create a stable and sustainable local community in order to continue to protect the gorillas and their habitat.

¹Wildlife Tourism: An eco and animal friendly tourism, usually showing animals in their natural habitat.
²Anthroponotic Disease: An infectious disease in which a disease causing agent carried by humans is being transferred to other animals.