For nearly 20 years, Fossey lived among these “gentle giants” in hope of studying them to help protect them from extinction and their habitat from destruction.

Her fight for the gorillas include going against game wardens, zoo poachers, and government officials who wanted to convert gorilla habitats to farmland or commercial use. Fossey not only destroyed the poachers’ dogs and traps but also used the power of media to safeguard the gorillas safety and habitat. At times, she made used of the locals believe of witchcraft and acted as a witch to scare them off. Due to her extreme measures of protecting the gorillas, she had fuelled disagreement and unhappiness against herself.

Dian Fossey was buried next to her favourite gorilla, Digit.

On December 26 1985, Fossey was found hacked to death by a machete in her cabin at Karisoke Research Virunga Mountains. Due to the unhappiness she created with the poachers, local authorities believed they were the prime suspects. However, two other suspects were brought in by the local government. Emmanuel Rwelekana, an African guide whom Fossey had fired, and Wayne McGuire, a young student from Oklahoma who was working at Karisoke and was suspected to have a motive to murder to take over her research work. Up till date, no assailant has ever been found or prosecuted in her murder.

Till date, Fossey’s work has been carried on through the Karisoke Research Center and the Dian Fossey’s Gorilla International Fund, which were both founded by herself, extending their activities to include the protection of Grauer’s (eastern lowland) gorillas and also the mountain gorillas.

Credit: YouTube User rezeptiv