Dian Fossey

Dian Fossey was an American zoologist, primatologist, and anthropologist who undertook an extensive study of mountain gorilla groups over a period ofyears. She studied them daily in the mountain forests of Rwanda, initially encouraged to work there by anthropologist Louis Leakey. Her 1983 book, Gorillas in the Mist, combines her scientific study of the gorillas at Karisoke Research Center with her own personal story. It was adapted into a 1988 film of the same name. Fossey was murdered in 1985 the case remains open.

Fossey was born in San Francisco, California, the daughter of Kathryn Kitty , a fashion model, and George E. Fossey III, an insurance agent. Her parents divorced when she was six. Her mother remarried the following year, to businessman Richard Price. Her father tried to keep in full contact, but her mother discouraged it, and all contact was subsequently lost. Dians stepfather, Richard Price, never treated Dian as his own child. He would not allow Dian to sit at the dining room table with him or Dians mother during dinner meals. A man adhering to strict discipline, Richard Price offered Dian little to no emotional support. Struggling with personal insecurity, Dian turned to animals as a way to gain acceptance. Her love for animals began with her first pet goldfish and continued throughout her entire life. At age six, she began horse riding, earning a letter from her school by her graduation in 1954, Fossey had established herself as an equestrienne.

Source: Wikipedia