Dr. Dian Fossey
In September 1967, Dr. Dian Fossey established the Karisoke Research Center in Rwanda’s Virunga Mountains and set in motion one of the longest-running studies of any animal species anywhere in the world.
Our Leadership
The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund staff is a diverse group of people dedicated to the survival of gorillas and their habitats. We have teams in Atlanta as well as on the ground in Rwanda and Congo.
Tracker Spotlight
The work we do would be impossible without our world-famous trackers. Read stories about the men and women who are on the front lines protecting and monitoring gorillas 365 days a year.
Financial Stewardship
The Fossey Fund has a long-standing reputation for meeting the highest standards of financial excellence. We take the same care and precaution to protect our financial resources that we do with our natural resources in the field. We work to ensure that every single dollar we receive is used to its full potential in order to conserve the precious endangered wildlife and habitat we protect.

Dr. Dian Fossey founded the Karisoke™ Research Center in Rwanda’s Virungas Mountains in 1967, to protect and study the endangered mountain gorillas. Although Fossey’s life was cut short, her work has continued through the Karisoke Research Center and has grown into conservation efforts for other wild-life and programs for people who live near the gorillas.