Dr. Fossey is widely credited for contributing to huge scientific breakthroughs when studying the gorillas in Rwanda. It was Fossey that would change their public image forever. Living alongside the gorillas for over a decade, she revealed their complex personalities and rich social lives. She showed the world how these magnificent primates demonstrated behaviour that was very much like our own.
Perhaps one of Fossey’s greatest discoveries when living with the group of mountain gorillas she observed was that they have families. And, like humans, share strong relationships with one another, particularly offspring. She also witnessed the deep mourning that took place over the loss of family members.
