FREE ESSAY ON GORILLAS IN THE MIST

GORILLAS IN THE MIST

Gorillas in the Mist 
Gorillas in the Mist by Dian Fossey is an excellent account of her thirteen years
studying gorillas in the Virungas Mountains. Gorillas in the Mist shows the public that
gorillas were not the evil monsters that we have come to think of them as. Through
careful research Dain Fossey was able to bring an understanding to the eyes of the public
about gorilla behavior, social structure, and the gorilla's individualism. 
Dian Fossey started her research in September of 1963. Fossey's original goals were to
meet the mountain gorillas of Mt. Mikeno in the Congo, as well as meet with Dr. Leaky.
While her goal was to do a short-term study, but after meeting Dr. Leaky she was
persuaded to undergo a long-term study. Her first attempt at this study ended badly; she
fell into a hole not more than one day into her study and broke her leg. She would return
to the states and then after three years return to Africa. She returned in 1966, and
began her study of the gorillas of the Virungas at the Kabara Research site. A year later
Fossey was pushed from Zaire by civil war and never returned to the Zaire side of the
mountain range. This political unrest effected her study of the gorillas greatly. She had
already established her presence to the gorilla groups, and she was able to approach the
groups through the social bond she had created. She was now pushed to the Rwanda side of
the mountains, and once again set up her research center and named this new site
Karisoke. This movement away from the gorilla groups she had first started to study
greatly slowed her research. Fossey was forced to reestablish her presence to these new
groups, and was now forced to focus on reestablishing social bonds rather then data
collecting research. From this new site Dian Fossey would do the bulk of her famous
gorilla research for nearly thirteen years.
The work Fossey was about to under take was by comparison as important to the scientific
study of primates as Jane Goodall's work with the chimpanzees of the Gombe Stream
Research Center in Tanzania. Jane Goodall had proven that chimpanzees could learn to use
tools, and that became one of her most important discoveries. Dian Fossey's work with the
gorillas also had many new discoveries equally important to the study of primates as Jane
Goodall. Dian Fossey first established family groups, which she simply referred to as
"Groups". She proved that gorillas have social bonds that are very family oriented. The
gorilla groups consisted of as many as two to twenty one members. These groups consisted
of one dominating male Silverback gorilla; some times a few females, and possibly some
Blackback males. Unlike popular assumption the dominant Silverback is not always the only
Silverback in any one group, but is always the strongest and largest Silverback within
the group. The dominating Silverback is usually born into his group and becomes the
dominant male after the old dominating male Silverback has died. In some cases he may
establish himself as the groups dominating Silverback by assuming the duties of the old
dominating male only if this old dominating male is to weak, ill, or old to act as the
group leader. The dominant Silverback is the leader of his group. He guides his group
throughout the mountains, and he also provides protection for the younger and weaker
members of the group. The dominant Silverback has breeding rights to all the females of
the group. The Silverback is also the first to breed with the females of the group and
often the only to breed; this insures the Silverback that the next generation will be of
his seed. The order within the group's structure is maintained by this dominant
Silverback as well. This social structure is very important to a group's survival. 
The female gorillas have a dominance pattern as well. The most dominant female is usually
the one that has been in the group the longest, and spends most of her time grooming the
dominant silverback. Fossey stated that groups without a dominant Silverback leader
faired far worse, because they were unable to locate food as well as protect themselves
from other groups. Throughout her studies Fossey's had observed numerous groups of
gorillas ranging from a lone Silver or Blackback to groups as big as twenty-one with as
many as two Silverbacks. 
Within the group some members may or may not be related to one another. Dian Fossey
documented this aspect of group relations very closely. Often a female gorillas
biological Father would mate with her when she reached sexual maturity sometimes to show
the Silverbacks dominance. In some cases because it was the only breeding opportunity
within the group. Often groups getting to the point of having limited breeding resources
would interbreed within their group to pass on genes. The dominant Silverback would then
try and acquire new females from another rival group. These interactions often result in
a group losing members, or even acquiring new members. Sometimes these interactions
between groups ended in bloody battles between the dominant members within the groups.
More often then not, it is the dominant Silverback that will try and intimidate the rival
groups Silverback(s) and then take a female through intimidation.
The gorillas that Dian Fossey studied all showed a gentle side often not seen from
unhabituated gorillas. Dian Fossey stated that gorillas need for contact between members
gave them a peaceful way about them. Grooming is a form of contact between group members
that is not so much a way of keeping the fur of gorillas clean but a vital social skill
that is used as a form of contact between members. This contact between members of a
group seemed to comfort the gorillas, and add to the group's cohesion. Through numerous
contacts the younger members of the group often groomed Fossey. We often are lead to
think of gorillas as a fearful beast that would kill a human at the first site of them.
From this research Fossey was able to abolish this myth. Why would a man-killing beast
initiate contact with a human only to comfort her? 
Gorillas are very playful as well. The young have a strong sense of curiosity that often
brought the gorillas to Dian Fossey. Throughout the book the impression I had of gorillas
left me as she described the way these comical interactions took place. My impression of
gorillas as a terrifying beast was soon replaced with an understanding of gorilla
behavior and a new impression of a gentle giant.
Dian Fossey's love for the gorillas is very apparent throughout the book. She goes as far
as to name the members of each group she comes across, giving the gorillas an almost
human-like personality. This helps to shape an image of each gorilla throughout the text
and to diminish the popular misconception of gorillas. I believe the popular impression
of gorillas being terrifying killers was an important aspect that shaped the writing of
the book Gorillas in the Mist. 
I believe Dian Fossey printed her findings into a simple and easy to read text so that
just about every person that could read could get the meaning out of it. The title itself
adds to the meaning of the book. Gorillas have been kept in the mist forever. There has
never been a study done before like this to open the public's eyes to this endangered
species. The way she writes is almost child like. Making it very easy to understand as
well as making the text enjoyable to read. The tone she uses throughout the book also
helps the reader to keep pushing through the text even if she sometimes gets carried away
with scientific terminology. Dian Fossey skips about from chapter-to-chapter introducing
the reader to groups and individual gorillas that she has yet to define. The text is very
simple to understand, but this "jumpy" type of writing makes it a lot harder to follow
the groups in any pattern. 
In the appeal to make this an easy and very understandable book Dian Fossey even included
in the back of the book scientific notations on various things that were mentioned in the
text but not elaborated on; gorilla vocalizations, food types, and parasites to only name
a few. I believe that this book was not so much on gorillas behavior, and the need to
write about the research Dian Fossey had done, but a book to open the world's eyes to
this animal.