Visit to Dian Fossey Grave in Volcanoes National Park-Rwanda
Visit to Dian Fossey Grave in Volcanoes National Park-Rwanda : In addition to being a primatologist and conservationist, Dian Fossey is well recognized for her work to protect Mountain Gorillas from extinction. Between the years 1966 and 1985, when she was assassinated, she conducted a detailed research of mountain gorilla populations in Rwanda. When she was murdered on the 27th of December in a distant Rwandan camp, she was found lying in a pool of blood. Her conservation activities are claimed to be the reason for her death.
Dian Fossey opted to study mountain gorillas in Rwanda because paleoanthropologist Louis Leakey recommended it. Two years before her death, she released a novel named ‘Gorillas in the Mist’. In this book, Dian Fossey’s life and work at the Karisoke Research Centre are chronicled. In 1988, a film with the same title as her novel was released.
Many of Dian Fossey’s anti-poaching initiatives were pioneered with the help of her employees, leading to the arrest and prosecution of a number of poachers. A few poachers are still incarcerated. Animals like Mountain Gorillas and Forest Elephants, who were being targeted for their ivory, were the target of the anti-poaching efforts.
Diana Fossey was laid to rest with her beloved gorilla Digit and around 20 other animals that had either been killed by poachers or perished due to other causes.
Dian Fossey Hike
In Volcanoes National Park, a trek to Dian Fossey’s tomb has suddenly become a must-do excursion for most visitors. After her parents divorced, Dian is believed to have spent a lot of time with animals because her estranged father didn’t show her much affection. Tour operators list hiking to the Fossey Tomb as one of the most popular trekking activities in Volcanoes National Park’s itinerary.
Nearly an hour and a half from the park’s entrance to Dian Fossey’s burial in Karisoke Research Camp, Dian’s grave is located. A 30-minute drive from the Volcanoes National Park headquarters takes you to the path leading to the research facility, where you may begin your trek at a nearby graveyard.
Dian Fossey’s grave location provides travelers the chance to see a variety of monkeys, bird species and forest elephants. In addition, it gives travelers an intellectual and emotional insight into Dian’ studies on mountain gorillas and other primate species and her conservation efforts to understand and preserve them.
As a physically demanding and time-consuming excursion, trekking to Dian Fossey’s grave requires a traveller to be physically healthy and patient.
Points of Interest during the tour
While on tour to Dian Fossey grave site, tourists have an opportunity to view attractions such as;
- Dian Fossey tomb
- Karisoke Research Camp
- The cabin where Dian Fossey was murdered in 1985.
- Golden monkeys
- Mount Karisimbi, where a number of gorilla trekking activities are carried out.
- Bird species
Other Activities to Combine with Dian Fossey Hike.
The Dian Fossey tomb tour provides tourists with a number of activities that the visitors can indulge in, and these include;
- Hike to Dian Fossey’s grave site
- Nature walks
- Bird watching
- Wildlife viewing where tourists may have a chance to see wildlife species like forest elephants, warthogs and a variety of primate species.
- Trekking mountain gorillas that are found on Mount Karisimbi.
Best Time to Visit Dian Fossey Grave Site
As part of a primate trekking trip, visitors to the Dian Fossey mausoleum can visit it at any time of the year, however it is recommended that they visit it after their gorilla trekking experience. Travelers visiting Rwanda might consider taking a trip to the Dian Fossey Grave Site. Mountain Gorillas and Forest Elephants are two endangered species that have been targeted by poachers.