Dian Fossey
Dian Fossey: Murder in the Mist
Skygaze explores the life, passion, and unsolved death of the world's most famous gorilla protector
Alone in the Mountains
Dian Fossey dedicated her life to the conservation of endangered mountain gorillas in Rwanda. But her mission made enemies. In December 1985, she was found murdered in her cabin-killed by a machete in a remote research camp she built from scratch. The killing shocked the world and remains unsolved to this day.
A Life Among Gorillas
Fossey first traveled to Africa in 1963 and became deeply fascinated with the great apes of the region. With backing from Louis Leakey, she established the Karisoke Research Center in the Virunga Mountains in 1967. Over time, she formed bonds with the gorillas, studying their behavior and fighting fiercely to protect them from poachers.
A Fierce Protector
Fossey took conservation personally. She dismantled traps, confronted poachers, and opposed gorilla tourism. Her actions were aggressive and often controversial-holding suspects for questioning, clashing with Rwandan authorities, and building a list of adversaries who saw her as a threat to local power and profit.
The Night of the Killing
On the night of December 26, 1985, someone broke into Fossey's cabin at Karisoke and struck her in the head with a machete. Her body was found beside her bed. Nothing was stolen, and there were no signs of forced entry. Though a former employee was convicted in absentia, the evidence was thin, and the real motive remains unclear.
Who Killed Dian Fossey?
Theories about her death range from poachers to political operatives to people within the conservation movement itself. Some believe she was silenced for interfering with profitable gorilla tourism. Others think the murder was personal. With limited forensic resources at the time, the case quickly grew cold.
The Mission Lives On
Despite the violence that ended her life, Fossey's work sparked a global conservation movement. The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund continues to protect mountain gorillas across Central Africa. But her story remains a cautionary tale of what can happen when passion collides with power, and when the wilderness is no longer safe-even for its greatest defenders.
