DIAN FOSSEY GRAVE
About Dian Fossey
Dian Fossey was a prominent primatologist who lived in East Africa in 1980s. She travelled to East Africa in 1963 and met Louis Leaky and at the same time visited the mountain gorillas in Rwanda. Louis Leakey encouraged Dian Fossey to come back to Africa to study more about the mountain gorillas in 1966.
After spending some time at Gombe stream National Park in western Tanzania, Dian had to set up the Karisoke Research Centre in the Ruhengeri province, at the base of Mount Bisoke and Karismbi, within the massive Virunga massif, one of the last unspoiled habitats where mountain gorillas live.
Her research and observation contributed a lot to the improvement of gorilla knowledge, habits, communication and much more. So to say, she was the first person to introduce gorilla habituation in East Africa and world at large.
Dian Fossey made mountain gorillas to be famous worldwide and protected a good number of gorillas against extensive poaching. Therefore, without her efforts, the population of these endangered mountain gorillas would have been reduced or extinct completely.
This she did a lot to save the gorillas and even now her methods are being adopted and used in Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo and this has reduced or eliminated gorilla poaching.
Her research and introduction of gorilla habituation where these endangered species are made comfortable in the presence of humans, has made gorilla trekking more possible and common in the countries where gorillas dwell.
Today, visitors can trek any gorilla family of their choice and they can spot these endangered species in their natural habitat at a distance of about 8m than watching them on television or in the zoos and maybe hearing them in stories. Therefore, a credit goes to Dian Fossey (RIP) for the great work done.
Sadly, Dian was murdered at her research home in Karisoke by unknown people and she was buried next to some of her beloved mountain gorillas that were killed earlier. History and research says that her murder is related to the love of saving the gorillas from poachers.
Dian had authored a book Gorillas in the mist which was later turned into a film documentary profiling her personal lifestyle and the gorillas which everyone must watch before visiting these beautiful creatures.
Dian Fossey Grave hike
Hiking to visit Dian Fossey graveyard is a rewarding experience to visitors. This is the moment when the local park guide will feed you with the information all concerned about this primatologist and her great work towards conservation of mountain gorillas in the Virunga region.
The trek to the graveyard is more popular to visitors/tourists who are more interested in conservation and research about gorillas and therefore, it is less discovered by tourists while on their safari to Volcanoes national park.
The hiking fee to Dian Fossey graveyard is 100$ per person, and this is paid differently from park entry fees and gorilla trekking permit.
When to visit Dian Fossey graveyard?
This place can be visited all year round depending on your scheduled time and this is because it is rarely interrupted by weather and it is open throughout the year.
But to excellently enjoy the experience, visitors are advised to hike and visit the graveyard during dry season months of December to February and June to August when the trails seem to be dry, and roads are accessible to and from the park, the skies are blue and good for photography. However, during dry/peak season hotel and park rates are high as opposed to wet / low season when hotel rates and park fees tend to be reduced because of low demand.
How to access Dian Fossey graveyard?
Dian Fossey graveyard is stationed in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, between Karisimbi and Bisoke mountains. You can then access the park from Kigali using a well tarmacked road network. The journey from Kigali city can take about 2-3 hours depending on the speed of the driver guide.
Our expert consultants are ready and willing to help you and take you on a safari that covers this historical ground of Dian Fossey graveyard.
