Atlanta, Dec. 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On December 26, 1985, Dr. Dian Fossey was tragically murdered in her cabin deep within the Virunga mountains of Rwanda. On the 40th anniversary of her passing, the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, an organization originally established by Dian Fossey and dedicated to saving gorillas and the ecosystems in which they live, takes a moment to reflect on the impact of Dr. Fossey’s work, her longstanding legacy and the future of wildlife conservation.

Impact on Gorilla Preservation
When Dian Fossey started her work in September 1967, the mountain gorilla population was hurtling towards extinction. She was one of the Trimates, a trio of female primatologists that included Jane Goodall, who studied chimpanzees, and Biruté Galdikas, who studies orangutans. 

Dian Fossey established the Karisoke Research Center and proceeded to dedicate her life to studying and ultimately to saving gorillas.

Her research and active conservation efforts – which included removing traps laid by poachers, controlling cattle grazing and establishing anti-poaching patrols – eventually helped bring the Virunga mountain gorilla population back from a low of only about 250 individuals. Today, the mountain gorilla is the only great ape other than humans whose population is increasing. In 2025 alone, the mountain gorilla groups monitored by the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund grew by over 3 percent.

Establishment of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund
To gain public awareness and raise critical funds in support of gorilla conservation, Dian founded the Digit Fund, naming the organization after a beloved silverback, Digit, who was killed by poachers in 1977. The Digit Fund was later renamed the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund (Fossey Fund) and today continues Dian’s critical work of protecting and studying gorillas.

The Fossey Fund now operates not only in Rwanda, but also in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where it works to protect and monitor Grauer’s gorillas, a critically endangered subspecies recently listed among the 25 most-endangered primates. 

"What started as a simple, yet vital, mission to study and protect an endangered species has grown into a global force for conservation,” said Dr. Tara Stoinski, President & CEO/Chief Scientific Officer of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. “From our roots in Rwanda to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Fossey Fund today implements a community-led conservation model to conduct critical science, safeguard biodiversity, create next-generation conservationists and advance the livelihood of local communities."

Dian believed in the power of media to bring attention to the plight of gorillas, counter negative stereotypes and showcase their true nature as gentle creatures. Her work with National Geographic to film and photograph gorillas further publicized the importance of preservation. In 1988, the seminal film Gorillas in the Mist (starring Sigourney Weaver and based on Dian’s 1983 book by the same title) immortalized Dian’s story for future generations. In 2026, a brand-new documentary will be released featuring the iconic Pablo group, a family of gorillas the Fossey Fund has followed since its formation, with the Fossey Fund serving as scientific advisors to bring their story to life.

Continued Legacy of Essential Research
Today, the Fossey Fund’s efforts contribute not only to gorilla conservation, but also to advancing 12 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals outlined by the United Nations. Through flagship projects and research, the Fossey Fund is advancing four key aims:

• Protecting Gorillas. Effective conservation requires the direct, sustained protection of wild animals in their natural habitats. The Fossey Fund is on the frontlines of gorilla conservation with dedicated teams on the ground working every single day to ensure the survival of gorillas.
• Conducting Critical Science. As the world’s longest-running gorilla research program, the Fossey Fund combines extensive and unique datasets with cutting-edge science to advance understanding of gorillas and their habitats and to develop effective conservation strategies.
• Creating Conservationists. Using its trusted voice and expertise, the Fossey Fund educates and advocates for action to protect wildlife and wild places and provides conservation stakeholders from Africa and around the globe with opportunities to enhance their skills to become the leaders of today and tomorrow.
  
• Building Resilient Communities. The equitable involvement of indigenous peoples and local communities in conservation is essential. The Fossey Fund collaborates with communities to address their critical needs with a specific focus on education, livelihoods, and food/water security.

“Dian Fossey’s legacy shows that you can reverse extinction,” continued Dr. Tara Stoinski. “Her pioneering work was about more than just protecting an individual species; it laid the groundwork for an enduring truth: that the dedicated conservation of gorillas underscores the essential preservation of our planet’s biodiversity and vital ecosystems.”

About The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund
The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund is the world's longest-running and largest organization dedicated to gorilla conservation. Established in 1967 by famed primatologist Dian Fossey, the Fossey Fund works in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to protect and study critically endangered wild gorillas and their habitats, and to empower people who share the gorillas’ forest home. For more, visit: gorillafund.org. Follow us on social @savinggorillas.

Attachments

• Dian Fossey in Rwanda with mountain gorillas, 1970
• Dian Fossey in Rwanda with mountain gorillas (2), 1970

Erika Archibald, Ph.D.
earchibald@gorillafund.org

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