 Dian Fossey is the kind of women many feminists idolize. She’s regarded by environmentalists and naturalists as the queen of gorillas. Fossey was an amazing person, and “Gorillas in the Mist” tells her story. The movie, starring Sigourney Weaver, was nominated for many awards and received universal praise.
Fossey was a naturalist who spent her life working in Rwanda with mountain gorillas. She was inspired by anthropologist Louis Leakey to devote her life to researching primates. After her first trip to Africa, Fossey, a native of Kentucky, fell in love with the lives of the rare mountain gorillas of the Rwandan jungle. Her work consumed her, even to a point where her personal life suffered.
As "Gorillas in the Mist” explains, Rwandan mountain gorillas were at extreme risk of extinction because of poaching. With government officials unwilling to listen to her claims, Fossey takes on the poachers herself, dedicating her life to saving the mountain gorillas from extinction.
“Gorillas in the Mist” portrays Fossey’s efforts, including her discovery that the supposed scientific knowledge of the illusive species was completely wrong. She studied and documented the generous, guileless behavior of the mountain gorilla. The story takes its viewers into the life of a woman who was often portrayed herself as being unstable and passionate.
Perhaps one of the more shocking facts about Fossey’s story is that she was murdered in 1985, presumably by poachers. Just before she died, Fossey signed a $1 million deal to transform her book, “Gorillas in the Mist” into a movie. In her will, Fossey stated that she wanted all her assets to go to the Digit Fund to finance anti-poaching patrols. At her request, Fossey is buried next to Digit, one of her favorite gorillas, that was beheaded in 1977.
One of the most tragic environmental outcomes of Fossey’s life is that it seems her efforts did little good. Today, there are an estimated 650 mountain gorillas in the wild. Poaching remains a threat, but habitat destruction is an even greater threat.
After watching “Gorillas in the Mist”, you may feel angry. You may fall in love with gorillas. You may want to go to Rwanda to avenge these amazing creatures yourself. Or perhaps you will simply want to donate to the non-profit organization, the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International. And you’ll probably want to watch the movie again.
|
