An icon defending mountain gorillas, Dian Fossey graduated in Occupational Therapy. Part II

June 18, 2010

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Once in Kentucky she resumed her job in &#&Occupational Therapy&#& at Kosair Crippled Children Hospital. Besides loving her work, she had to pay the loan she had taken to go to Africa.

During the following years while working at Kosair Dian published several articles about her trip to Africa. This activity opened a door for her when in 1966 Dr. Louis Leakey visited Louisville in a lecture trip.

She decided to meet him and she did so. They had a conversation about the convenience of Dian taking on a long-term field project to study the gorillas in Africa. Dian's determination was proved and then Dr. Leakey put himself in the task of securing the funding for the study, which he did 8 months later. It gave Dian time enough to finish paying her debts and to study. She learnt some of Swahili out of a "Teach Yourself Swahili" grammar book, and she focused also on a George Schaller's books about his own field studies with the mountain gorillas.

The most difficult thing to do was to say good bye to her family, her friends and harder than hard to say good bye to her beloved dogs.

In December 1966 Dian was again in Africa. She began to meet people who helped her reach her goals, and in September 1967 Dian established the Karisoke Research Center.

It wasn't easy, she had hired Rwandan men to help her, and they spoke only Kinyarwanda instead of the only Kinyarwanda language Dian understood. The have to communicate out of hand gestures and facial expressions.

But the key "challenge" was to be accepted by the shy gorillas. Dian remained almost 18 years among the gorillas, earning their complete confidence and trust; she almost became one of them. She was the first person in the world to have voluntary friendly human contact with a gorilla, when one of them touched her hand. As showed in the movie, she could sit among them whenever she wanted, playing and establishing a "family relationship" with them.

Years later, on December 31, 1977, Digit was killed by poachers. He died defending his family. Thanks to his courage they (his mate and unborn baby included) could escape safely. He had been stabbed multiple times and his head and hands were severed. He was the silverback of the group, it is, he was the leader, the most respected. Eventually, there would be more deaths and Group 4 would disband, all as a result of the death of their silverback.