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Dian Fossey

Dian Fossey Biography

Zoologist

Dian Fossey was a renowned primatologist, best known for her research on mountain gorillas in Africa. Born on January 16, 1932, she passed away on December 26, 1985. Fossey conducted extensive research in the volcanic regions of Rwanda for 18 years, studying the behavior and ecology of mountain gorillas, and dedicated herself to the conservation of this endangered species.

Dian Fossey was a renowned primatologist, best known for her research on mountain gorillas in Africa. Born on January 16, 1932, she passed away on December 26, 1985. Fossey conducted extensive research in the volcanic regions of Rwanda for 18 years, studying the behavior and ecology of mountain gorillas, and dedicated herself to the conservation of this endangered species.

Related Quotes

“The more you learn about the dignity of the gorilla, the more you want to avoid people.”

People Dignity Gorillas

Author:Dian Fossey

“When you realize the value of all life, you dwell less on what is past and concentrate more on the preservation of the future.”

Life Inspirational Past Values Realizing Future Witty Preservation Dwelling Concentrating Forget The Past Value Of Life Zoologist

Author:Dian Fossey

“The man who kills the animals today is the man who kills the people who get in his way tomorrow.”

People Men Way Today Animal Tomorrow Animal Welfare

Author:Dian Fossey

“I feel more comfortable with gorillas than people. I can anticipate what a gorilla's going to do, and they're purely motivated.”

People Feels I Can Feelings Animal Pure Comfortable Equality Motivated Anticipation Anticipate Gorillas Animal Intelligence

Author:Dian Fossey

“The extraordinary gentleness of the adult male with his young dispels all the King Kong mythology.”

Young Kings Adults Extraordinary Males Mythology Gentleness Wildlife King Kong

Book:Gorillas in the Mist

Source: Gorillas in the Mist

“None of the three great apes is considered ancestral to modern man, Homo sapiens, but they remain the only other type of extant primate with which human beings share such close physical characteristics. From them we may learn much concerning the behavior of our earliest primate prototypes, because behavior, unlike bones, teeth, or tools, does not fossilize.”

Men Humans May Doe Three Human Beings Share Modern Type Behavior Tools Bones Teeth Characteristics Biology Wildlife Apes Homo Sapiens Modern Man Primates Prototype

Book:Gorillas in the Mist

Source: Gorillas in the Mist

“One of the basic steps in saving a threatened species is to learn more about it: its diet, its mating and reproductive processes, its range patterns, its social behavior.”

Social Process Steps Behavior Species Patterns Saving Range Diets Threatened Mating Social Behavior

Author:Dian Fossey

“There are times when one cannot accept facts for fear of shattering one's being. As I listened to Ian's news, all of Digit's life, since my first meeting with him as a playful little ball of black fluff ten years earlier, passed through my mind. From that moment on, I came to live within an insulated part of myself.”

Years Mind Firsts Littles Moments Facts Black Accepting Ten News Balls Meetings That Moment Shattering Fluff

Author:Dian Fossey

“I have no friends. The more you learn about the dignity of the gorilla, the more you want to avoid people.”

People Want Human Nature Dignity No Friends Gorillas I Have No Friends

Author:Dian Fossey

“I had this great urge... I had it the day I was born. Some may call it destiny. My parents and friends called it dismaying.”

May Parent Born Destiny Friends Urges

Author:Dian Fossey

“Active conservation [of gorillas] involves simply going out into the forest, on foot, day after day after day, attempting to capture poachers, killing-regretfully-poacher dogs, which spread rabies within the park, and cutting down traps.”

Cutting Feet Dog Killing Spread Active Forests Parks Capture Going Out Traps Conservation Attempting Dinosaurs Gorillas Cutting Down Rabies Poachers

Author:Dian Fossey

“Gorillas are almost altruistic in nature. There's very little if any 'me-itis.' When I get back to civilization I'm always appalled by 'me, me, me.'”

Ifs Littles Civilization Get Back Gorillas

Author:Dian Fossey

“[About gorillas] You take these fine, regal animals. How many (human) fathers have the same sense of paternity? How many human mothers are more caring? The family structure is unbelievably strong.”

Humans Science Mother Father Strong Animal Fine Structure Caring Gorillas Regal

Author:Dian Fossey

“It was their individuality combined with the shyness of their behavior that remained the most captivating impression of this first encounter with the greatest of the great apes.”

Firsts Behavior Individuality Impression Encounters Apes Shyness Captivating

Book:Gorillas in the Mist

Source: Gorillas in the Mist

“I had a wonderful contact, especially with Uncle Bert who was an angel and led the whole group over to my side of a steep ravine I could not cross to get over to them”

Whole Sides Wonderful Groups Angel Crosses Contact Uncles Get Over Steep

Author:Dian Fossey

“[My] excursions provided a unique opportunity for observing [the gorillas' behavior] in their natural habitat... Then, all too soon, the infants were demanded for their trip to the zoo. ... [H]appily the babies did not know they would never see their mountain home again”

Knows Home Opportunity Natural Baby Mountain Behavior Unique Infant Observing Zoos Habitat Gorillas Excursions Unique Opportunities Natural Habitats

Author:Dian Fossey

“I shall never forget my first encounter with gorillas. Sound preceded sight. Odor preceded sound in the form of an overwhelming, musky-barnyard, humanlike scent. The air was suddenly rent by a high-pitched series of screams followed by the rhythmic rondo of sharp pok-pok chestbeats from a great silverbacked male obscured behind what seemed an impenetrable wall of vegetation.”

Firsts Form Science Sound Forget Behinds Air Wall Sight Series Males Encounters Never Forget Overwhelming Scream Scent Odor Gorillas Vegetation

Book:Gorillas in the Mist

Source: Gorillas in the Mist

About the Author

Born: January 16, 1932
Died: December 26, 1985
Known for: Zoologist
Quotes: 17

Related Topics

Gorillas Behavior People Animal Firsts Apes Dignity Encounters Humans Littles

Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

Gorillas in the MistRelated source material

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