Controversy

Despite being well known for doing a great job on the conservation of the gorillas and their habitat, Fossey was also known for her extreme ways to curb poaching problems, some even described it as unethical.

She was known to have destroy poachers’ dogs and traps and made use of the locals’ beliefs of witchcraft to scare them off. When on her trip to the United States, she would also stock up on firecrackers, toys and magic tricks to further aid her act as a witch to trick the locals into believing that she’s a real witch. Fossey was also reported to have captured and held locals who were suspected of poaching activities and tortured them.

However, towards the end of her life, she became an alcoholic who was withdrawn from the human world and treats her gorillas better than her human friends.

The film “The Lost Film of Dian Fossey” talks about some of the issues that were not stated in her book “Gorillas in the Mist”.

Trailer of “The Lost Film of Dian Fossey” (2003)
Credit: YouTube User: Canal de cynthia180msncom