Dian Fossey

Dian Fossey
Dian Fossey in November 1984
Born	January 16, 1932 San Francisco, California, U.S.
Died	December 26, 1985(1985-12-26) (aged 53) Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda Murder
Citizenship	United States
Fields	Ethology, primatology
Institutions	Karisoke Research Center, Cornell University
Alma mater	College of Marin, (1949–1950) San Jose State University (B.A., Occupational therapy, 1954) Darwin College, Cambridge (Ph.D., Zoology, 1974)
Known for	Study and conservation of the mountain gorilla
Influences	Jane Goodall, Louis Leakey, George Schaller

Dian Fossey (/daɪˈæn ˈfɒsi/; January 16, 1932 – c. December 26, 1985) was an American zoologist, primatologist, and anthropologist who undertook an extensive study of mountain gorilla groups over a period of 18 years. She studied them daily in the mountain forests of Rwanda, initially encouraged to work there by anthropologist Louis Leakey. Her 1983 book, Gorillas in the Mist, combines her scientific study of the gorillas at Karisoke Research Center with her own personal story. It was adapted into a 1988 film of the same name. Fossey was murdered in 1985; the case remains open.

Called one of the foremost primatologists in the world, Fossey, along with Jane Goodall and Birutė Galdikas, were the so-called Trimates, a group of three prominent researchers on primates (Fossey on gorillas; Goodall on common chimpanzees; and Galdikas on orangutans) sent by Leakey to study great apes in their natural environments.

Fossey was born in San Francisco, California, the daughter of Kathryn "Kitty" (née Kidd), a fashion model, and George E. Fossey III, an insurance agent. Her parents divorced when she was six. Her mother remarried the following year, to businessman Richard Price. Her father tried to keep in full contact, but her mother discouraged it, and all contact was subsequently lost. Dian's stepfather, Richard Price, never treated Dian as his own child. He would not allow Dian to sit at the dining room table with him or Dian's mother during dinner meals. A man adhering to strict discipline, Richard Price offered Dian little to no emotional support. Struggling with personal insecurity, Dian turned to animals as a way to gain acceptance. Her love for animals began with her first pet goldfish and continued throughout her entire life. At age six, she began horse riding, earning a letter from her school; by her graduation in 1954, Fossey had established herself as an equestrienne.