Fossey dian biography of alberta

(1932-1985)

Who Was Dian Fossey?

While working as an occupational therapist, Dian Fossey became interested in primates during a trip to Africa in 1963.

She studied the endangered gorillas of the Rwandan mountain forest for two decades before her unsolved murder occurred in 1985, at Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. Fossey told her story in the book Gorillas in the Mist (1983), which was later adapted for a film starring Sigourney Weaver.

Early Life

Fossey was born on January 16, 1932, in San Francisco, California, and grew up with her mother and stepfather.

Developing an affinity for animals at a young age, throughout her youth, Fossey was an avid horseback rider and an aspiring veterinarian. However, after enrolling in pre-veterinary studies at the University of California, Davis, she transferred to San Jose State College and changed her major to occupational therapy.

After graduating from San Jose in 1954, Fossey spent several months working as a hospital