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The 1970s, 1980s and 1990s were dark years for big primates in Africa. Gorillas and chimpanzees faced constant conflict, persecution and poaching of humans. However, thanks to the work of Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey under the direction of Dr. Louis Leakey, the perspective of people on these great primates has changed.
Following Jane Goodall's success with chimpanzees in Gombe, Tanzania, Dr. Leaky said a similar study should be done with mountain gorillas in the Virunga area and Indonesian orangutans. Goodall's love for chimpanzees allowed him to study and learn the complex behavior of these great primates. She discovered that chimpanzees lived in complex societies and had several traits that included war with their neighboring rivals. She was also able to illustrate how compassionate, loving and inventive chimpanzees could be. Goodall's success and Dr. Leakey's encouragement led Dian Fossey to become a primatologist and later became an authority on mountain gorillas.
Dian Fossey's Past Life
Dian Fossey was born in California in 1932 and later lived with a strict step father who was a businessman. She never knew what it meant to grow up in a loving and caring home environment, which could explain her often isolated lifestyle while she was working in Africa. The emotional support she lacked at home contributed to her love for animals, which led her to enroll in a pre-veterinary course at the University of California at the University of California. 39, age 19, to complete his business studies at Martin College. His change of course was not supported by his parents and the financial support was now more reliable. To finance her studies, she took a job as a clerk and machine operator in a factory graduate as an occupational therapist at San Jose State College. After graduating in 1956, Dian Fossey worked as an occupational therapist at the Carippled Kosair Children's Hospital in Louisville. It's here that she has developed a close relationship with Mary White, a colleague who has invited her to the home and family farm. Dian Fossey felt at home here and worked with livestock and her favorite animal and then the horse
Her Work in Africa
In 1963, Dian Fossey undertook a seven-week trip to Africa where she visited Tsavo National Park , the Ngorongoro. crater, Mt. Mikeno, Lake Manyara and finally the Olduvai Gorge. It was at Oduvai Gorge that she met the Leakey family who told her about Jane Goodall and her work with Gombe Chimpanzees. Dian Fossey's first encounter with mountain gorillas took place during a wildlife and gorilla visit to Uganda during this first visit. From Uganda, Dian Fossey spent some time in Rhodesia then returned to Louisville. She has written several articles about her tremendous experience in Africa for a journal journal that she presented to Leaky during her lecture tour in Louisville. Leaky was impressed by her hard work and determination, and in December 1966 offered her a funding opportunity for research on mountain gorillas in Africa. She met Jane Goodall at the Gombe Stream Research Center before starting work in Kabara.
Building on her natural love for animals, the extra workout she has received on primates and the skills she has acquired as an occupational therapist, Fossey He realized that miming Gorilla's actions like beating his chest and making grunting sounds gave them confidence, which led to trust. She has written several articles and has been published in leading magazines and journals, including National Geographic. His research on mountain gorillas has been widely covered and has given much publicity to mountain gorillas.
While his work with mountain gorillas attracted attention and support, his work in Africa was always difficult. She suffered a first slumber of these challenges when her initial work in Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) was interrupted by political unrest after independence and the rise to power of Mobutu Sese Seko. She briefly moved to Uganda before it was agreed that she would establish a base in Rwanda. Dian Fossey settles well in Rwanda and establishes the Karisoke Research Center on September 24, 1967.
His second major challenge is to fight against uncontrolled poaching and rampant hunting in the greater Virunga region and particularly in Rwanda. Mountain gorillas and other wild animals have often been kidnapped for sale on the international black market by local poachers. Parts of animal bodies such as hands were used to make magic charms and ash trays. Each attack on a young mountain has often killed 5 to 10 individuals because adult gorillas defend their young until death. Local park authorities have not made efforts to curb poaching, as they often accept bribes from some poachers because of low pay. Dian Fossey realized that the continued decrease in the number of mountain gorillas and poaching would undermine his work. The death of Digit her favorite gorilla was particularly hurtful and traumatic. The pain of losing Digit in a tragic way would have led to smoking and drinking despite the diagnosis of emphysema. This is also one of the reasons she channeled most of her Gorilla research efforts to the conservation of gorillas.
She took things in hand and, with her local team, destroyed 987 traps and traps in 1979. The park rangers could not do it in four months. Dian Fossey went so far as to stop, interrogate and torture poachers – sometimes taking the children of poachers just to get to the culprits themselves. She often wore masks when meeting with poachers causing fear among locals who thought she was a witch. These methods and his great determination to put an end to poaching at all costs did not often win his friends especially among poachers and those who benefited from the vice
legacy of Gorilla Conservation
Dian Fossey made great contributions in the field of the conservation of the gorillas. research. His first results divided all Gorilla Conservation efforts into three categories – the Active, Theoretical, and Community Approaches . The active approach required the elimination of poaching through strong laws, the observation and destruction of traps and traps in the parks. The theoretical approach involved the promotion of tourism through the improvement of infrastructure and security. The community-based approach would require protecting parks and forest reserves from encroachment while sensitizing communities to the importance of tourism. The community-based approach also required developing local communities around the park and encouraging sustainable agriculture to stop encroachment on wildlife sanctuaries. These theories have greatly influenced the programs and activities of modern gorillas such as gorilla census and habituation.
In the following years, Dian Fossey strongly opposed the gorilla tourism programs organized by international gorilla conservation organizations. trekking experience. She felt that mountain gorillas should be left intact in nature. She felt that encouraging gorilla tourism would expose gorilla families to illness like the flu leading to death. This shift in opinion about gorilla tourism, her work methods and her alcohol problems led to conflicts with colleagues she oversaw in her remote research center. Unfortunately, some of her interns felt that she was not stable enough to continue managing the research center. It seems that his opponents had only selfish intentions, including taking control of his Karisoke research center.
Death and inheritance
Dian Fossey was found murdered in his room by people considered to be poachers. She was found lying on her cabin in a pool of blood with a machete on her head. The aggressor had no other intention than to end his life, since all his valuables were left intact. Due to his fierce fight against poaching, Dian Fossey had made a lot of enemies, but it is unclear who was actually responsible for the death. There are even allegations that his death was the work of illegal gold smugglers. Wayne McGuire, one of his research assistants, was sentenced to death by the Rwandan court, but fled the country just before the conviction to take refuge in the United States in July 1987. A local Sanwekwe, allegedly involved in the killing, was arrested. attack, was found dead in his prison cell. Dian Fossey was put to rest next to Digit's favorite gorilla. For true primate lovers, visiting Dian Fossey's grave and the Karisoke Research Center is a great way to pay tribute to this great primatologist and to understand in detail his work on mountain gorillas in Africa
. , perceived personal weaknesses, nothing can take away the fact that Dian Fossey really loved the mountain gorillas and devoted much of his productive life to studying and ensuring the protection and survival of endangered species. Dian Fossey has left a great legacy behind and through his research, has developed methods that are still used for many gorilla conservation programs today – including the launch of the first real gorilla census. Addiction to gorillas would not be possible if it was for some of the methods that she had discovered that made gorillas comfortable around humans. She is responsible for ensuring the survival of mountain gorillas and several other organizations continued from where she left by continuing to support and promote gorilla conservation programs such as the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. . The number of mountain gorillas increased from less than 400 in the 1980s to more than 1,000 during the gorilla census in 2018. In recognition of its excellent work, the Government of Rwanda adapted the Gorilla Baby baptism ceremony. she had herself begun.
SOURCE: https://www.silverbackgorillatours.com
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