Picture a family of Gorillas. Imagine fuzzy monkey babies and loving parents that are lazily dwelling in the rainforests of Africa. Who would save these innocent creatures from being killed by poachers?
Hello SVMS! I’m Dian Fossey and I spent decades as a zoologist studying the endangered Mountain Gorillas. I worked my hardest to end the terror of poachers and protect these beautiful animals. Back home, the U.S. was still recovering from the havoc of the Great Depression and many families were left hopeless, as jobs were scarce. Today I will tell you the story of how I overcame the struggles in my family, worked hard to pursue my dream, and how I impacted the lives of countless gorillas being killed everyday in the Karisoke region.
When I was a child I wasn’t sure about what I wanted as a future job, but I knew that I wanted one that involved animals. The economic blow of the Great Depression ate away at my family and my parents divorced when I was 6. I had to live with my strict mother who remarried to a stern businessman named Richard Price. One time when I was a small child, Mr. Price forced me to eat alone in the cold and desolate kitchen, while he and my mom enjoyed their feast in the warm dining room without me. My parents were happy by themselves, so I resolved to finding the affection I couldn’t receive from them in the animals surrounding me.
Feeling very alone in the world, I learned to find compassion with horses. I loved riding so much and started taking lessons when I was very young. One summer I even went to a ranch in Montana where I took care of the horses. My fascination for all the animals of the ranch just grew and grew. The other ranch workers even commented that I seemed to have a “magical connection” with the animals. My childhood struggles helped me find my first spark of excitement and interest working with animals and I grew up wanting a career where I could learn about wild animals.
When I was older, I didn’t get good enough grades to have my dream job as a vet. I was heartbroken, but decided that I could still help people. I got a job as an occupational therapist at a Children’s Hospital in Kentucky. As a therapist I helped children with disabilities for about 9 years. I lived in a small cottage and I loved it because wild animals were constantly surrounding me. I made many friends at work, but my closest one was Mary Henry. Her mother, Gaynee Henry was especially benevolent. She was like the mother I never had. Soon, I took an interest in Catholicism, as Gaynee would often pray and I guess the presence of God just made sense to me. As a catholic, I decided to change myself by trying to always be kind-hearted and generous.
Once when Mary returned from a trip to Africa, she inspired me with many exotic tales about the wilderness of the alluring land. I couldn’t stop thinking about the wonderful animals she’d described and I knew that I had to go to Africa myself. I planned out a trip, but when I saw the price to match, I was bewildered! How could anyone afford a trip to Africa? I was miserable. The dream of Africa was so close, yet so far. After much debate, I finally worked up the courage to leave the U.S. and left for Africa.
