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Dian Fossey: A Conservation Pioneer

Dian Fossey’s work to study and protect the lives of the wild gorillas in Rwanda touched the hearts of people around the world. Her focus, courage and passion have inspired many conservationists who have followed since. And her legacy lives on today, in the gorilla protection, science, education and people programs of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. Learn more about Dian Fossey

Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund breaks ground on a new campus for gorilla conservation

On Feb. 12, 2019 we broke ground on a new permanent home for all of our activities in Rwanda. Full construction on the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, named in honor of a lead gift by American celebrities and conservationists Ellen DeGeneres and her wife Portia de Rossi, is planned to start this summer, with completion expected in 2021. Learn More

Gorilla Family Trees

Gorillas live in groups with many of their relatives. We track all births and matriarchal lines and use DNA testing to determine paternity because adult males can mate with numerous females. See the results on our gorilla family tree! Learn More

Help Us Help Gorillas

Your donation is crucial to helping the Fossey Fund continue daily protection and study of critically endangered gorillas, as well as the community programs that support this work. Make a donation now

Mon, April 15, 2019

There’s much ado about bamboo

Bamboo is a special plant for gorillas, golden monkeys, and people too! At the Fossey Fund, we have been studying...

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Mon, April 15, 2019

Meet Maurice: Conservation Education Coordinator

The Fossey Fund has an extensive education program in Rwanda where we work, reaching children and adults at all levels....

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Thu, April 4, 2019

Gorilla forest is complex web of biodiversity

The Grauer’s gorillas the Fossey Fund protects in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo live deep in primary forest, where our...

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Tue, April 2, 2019

Why do gorillas gather around their dead? Three case studies

It is now known that many animals exhibit unique behaviors around same-species corpses, ranging from removal of the bodies and...

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Fri, March 8, 2019

Women are gorilla trackers too!

The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund has a large team of trackers, anti-poachers and scientists protecting and studying the mountain gorillas...

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Thu, March 7, 2019

Gorilla females are key to male success!

After studying mountain gorillas for 52 years, Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund scientists know that gorilla females usually move – or...

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Fri, March 1, 2019

Gorilla Journal Newsletter March 2019

(Click on the image to download the gorilla journal.)

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Mon, February 25, 2019

Gorilla mothers: No need for help, thank you

Gorilla mothers have very strong bonds with their infants, and provide complete care for them during their first few years,...

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Tue, February 12, 2019

Episode Two: Male hierarchy and a gorilla group’s success

This is the second in a series of articles chronicling the lives of the gorillas in a legendary mountain gorilla...

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Tue, February 12, 2019

Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund breaks ground on a new campus for gorilla conservation, in partnership with the Ellen Fund

The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund is the world’s longest-running and largest organization dedicated solely to gorilla conservation, and has seen...

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Mon, February 4, 2019

Identifying individual golden monkeys in gorilla habitat

The Fossey Fund’s gorilla trackers know every individual gorilla that we track in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park every day. This...

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Wed, January 30, 2019

Celebrating first scientific publication by Fossey Fund Rwandan college student

Each year, the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund hosts undergraduates from the University of Rwanda at our Karisoke Research Center, for...

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Latest from @savinggorillas

🚨 Today only -- Board member Dave Singer is matching ALL gifts dollar-for-dollar up to $5,000. We’re a just few thousand dollars short of our $20,000 goal for the spring bamboo campaign and with your support we can get there today! (That's Dave and members of our Board of Directors, staff, and friends before their gorilla trek in Rwanda) gorillafund.org/bamboo

Meet Deo, the Fossey Fund’s biodiversity research manager. Deo first arrived at Karisoke in 2004 as an undergraduate intern through our partnership with the University of Rwanda. With support from the Fossey Fund, Deo went on to pursue a master’s degree in conservation biology at the University of Cape Town. Currently, Deo is conducting research on golden monkeys for his Ph.D, which involves identifying individual golden monkeys one by one! You can learn more about Deo and his exciting work on our website: https://gorillafund.org/identifying-individual-golden-monkeys-gorilla-habitat/

Did you know the Fossey Fund has been studying golden monkeys in Rwanda for years? Endangered golden monkeys are a critical part of the gorillas’ habitat as well as a fascinating part of the forest’s #biodiversity. These cute little guys are almost completely reliant on bamboo. While the gorillas inhabit several zones in the forest, golden monkeys only inhabit one: the one with the bamboo. Bamboo is a critical resource for wildlife AND people. Learn more and get involved today: gorillafund.org/bamboo

Why study #biodiversity? Whether it’s the plants they eat, the health of the soil, the insects that pollinate the plants, the other animals that help disperse seeds, or competition for food from other animals – in one way or another, every element of biodiversity in the ecosystem is connected to the gorillas. The more we know about the gorillas’ habitat, the better job we can do at conservation. #EarthDay gorillafund.org/bamboo (📸: Yntze van der Hoek)

Happy Earth Day! Thanks to caring friends like you, we’re more than halfway to reaching our spring campaign goal of $20,000! Saving the planet’s last wild gorillas begins with your generosity, so please consider chipping in $5, $10, $25 or whatever you can today. Already made your gift? Tag a friend in the comments below and challenge them to match your contribution! We cannot reverse extinction, but together, we CAN prevent it. #EarthDay gorillafund.org/bamboo (📸: Jean Paul Hirwa)

Saving gorillas is an important mission, but the impact of our work is even more far-reaching. Like our founder Dian Fossey, we recognize that all life is connected. Our work helps animals, people, and entire ecosystems so that we can ALL thrive together. But we can’t do it alone - will you join us in making a difference today? gorillafund.org/bamboo

When you give to the Fossey Fund, you’re not just making a donation – you’re making a commitment to conservation. This #EarthDay, we hope you’ll renew your commitment to the gorillas and other endangered species by making a gift to our spring campaign. Your help will accomplish more than you can imagine: gorillafund.org/bamboo (📸: Veronica Vecellio)

Meet Masunzu. He is a 5-year-old mountain gorilla protected by the Fossey Fund, and nutrients from bamboo will help him grow up to be big and strong! Your gift today will reduce human reliance on the forest for survival, and help keep Masunzu and his family safe, no matter what. Can we count on your support? gorillafund.org/bamboo