Captivating archive of research material and signed correspondence from renowned primatologist and conservationist Dian Fossey, composed of 19 letters, a signed first edition of Gorillas in the Mist, a rare signed published article, and two 7-inch reel-to-reel tapes containing vocalizations of mountain gorillas, all of which were sent by Fossey to noted author and primatologist Dr. Don Cousins throughout the 1970s and early 1980s. The letters include nine postcard ALSs and 10 TLSs, signed early on as “Dian Fossey,” and then later, as their correspondence matured, simply as “Dian.” All of the postcards are addressed from the Karisoke Research Centre, BP 105, in Ruhengeri, Rwanda, as are a few of the typed letters, which also contain letterhead from the University of Cambridge and Cornell University, institutions where Fossey obtained her Ph.D. and where she later lectured as a professor.
Each brief handwritten letter, penned on the reverse of 5.75 x 4 and 6.25 x 4.5 postcards, finds Fossey requesting reprints of articles by Cousins, with titles such as “Man’s exploitation of gorillas,” “Classification of captive gorillas,” “Breeding gorillas in zoos: The present position,” “Disease and Injuries in Wild and Captive Gorillas,” “A Review of the diets of captive gorillas,” and more. Most significant is a closing paragraph from the referenced first postcard, which reads: “Things are going okay here for the moment, but rumor has it there might be more killings to capture young gorillas—the reason for the last horror. We live from day to day wondering who will be next.” A haunting passage from Fossey, who was found murdered in her Virunga Mountains cabin on December 27, 1985.
The typed letters, which amount to 14 total pages, are far more involved and contain abundant information related to her fieldwork with gorillas in Rwanda, her team’s constant struggle against poaching, and the progress of her first book. Highlighted passages from each are as follows:
December 15, 1970: “I’ve spent 2,255 hours of direct observation of 7 defined groups three of which were in the Kabara study area where Schaller worked and four of which were five miles distant in my Mt. Visoke study area in Rwanda. All seven groups total 107 animals and those in the Visoke area are recognized on sight…My thesis is due from Cambridge by Dec. 31st 1972. My thesis will be composed of a series of papers consisting primarily of statistical data. The first and the most difficult will deal solely with vocalizations and is now in the final process of being written up—most likely will be published in ‘Animal Behavior.’ I consider it an extremely boring paper though I respect the discipline involved in writing it up.”
September 16, 1972: “Within my own working area there have been no animals killed by poachers, at least to my knowledge, however I regularly receive bodies of slain animals from further sections of this Park and also from areas within the Congo (Zaire) and Uganda. Most of the latter animals are silverbacks who have been killed for ‘sumu’ (black magic) purposes—testicles, ear lobes, tongue, toes, cut off. All of these specimens are sent onto the Smithsonian—I can only roughly approximate that some 15 animals went off last year to Washington.”
February 16, 1974: “Copulation is frequently observed now that the gorillas have been totally habituated to the observer. I see approximately 12 a month amongst 40 odd animals. This count includes play copulations on the part of young males toward young juvenile females.”
December 15, 1974: “Regarding the voc paper, keep in mind that much of the work at that time was done with unhabituated or semi-habituated gorillas. If it were to be redone now there would be a tremendous increase in the number of ‘belch vocalizations’ (as well as a break-down of the various gradations of same) and vocalizations connected with copulatory behaviour…I hope you find the vocalization tapes of some use.” Included with the letter is a stapled copy of Fossey’s article ‘Vocalizations of the Mountain Gorilla,’ which is signed and inscribed in red ballpoint, “To Don Cousins, with very best wishes, Dian Fossey,” and the referenced pair of 7-inch reel-to-reel tapes, both featuring two affixed labels that are annotated by an unknown hand; the black tape reel reads “Tape 1, White Leader” and “Mountain Gorilla, Recorded by Dian Fossey, Tape 1”; and the clear tape reel reads “Tape 2, White Leader” and “Mountain Gorilla, Recorded by Dian Fossey, Tape 2.” The tapes come with a cardboard box marked as “Mountain Gorilla Vocalizations, Recorded by Dian Fossey.” Each tape offers about half an hour of vocalizations recorded by Fossey.
November 30, 1978: “I didn’t know Coco and Pucker had died. That was indeed tragic news. I would like to know when it was they died? This is rather important as the latest killings of Uncle Bert and Macho (shot) were done in an effort to capture the 3 ½ yr. old male son of Macho on July 24th. Kweli was also shot through the top of the shoulder but escaped with the rest of the group only to finally die on Oct. 26th. The Conservator knew about the attempted capture of Kweli the day before the shootings occurred and went off to the town of Gisenyi where he was supposed to pick him up; then came to camp to see if he was there. What is going on now is very complex involving a lot of politics. That is one reason I am in this country at present—trying to explain all of the innuendoes to a number of concerned people; don’t know if I'm muddying up the issues or being informative—I guess only time will tell…We’ve caught all but one of Digit’s killers and also the man who shot Uncle Bert and Macho. He aims to keep them in for 10 years in the Ruhengeri prison which has a very high mortality rate…Am setting up a training program for the park guards with the financial assistance of The Digit Foundation which I’ve started in this country.”
January 10, 1980, after discussing aggressive male behavior and gorilla dentition, Fossey ponders the future of a newly arrived gorilla baby that was obtained from a pair of poachers: “I’ve been spending 25 hours a day with it since the 1st. Had no trouble immediately converting it back to natural vegetation though it gives every indication of liking the food its captors fed it. Had to withdraw all fruits as it came down with horrid diarrhea…Its eyes and nostrils run badly, and I remain almost certain it will shortly show signs of a respiratory infection verging on pneumonia, typical of all newly captured animals…I don’t know if the Rwandese Govt. will give me the option of returning the animal to the wild or if they will, as I suspect, take matters into their own hands and try and sell it to a zoo. Thus far I am amazed that neither the Rwandese nor the Zairoise have been pounding at my door to see it for themselves! Remain very perplexed as to its future.”
May 19, 1981: “I left camp last March to begin preparing for a fall semester class in the comparative behavior of the three great apes taught here at Cornell University…Frankly Don, those thirteen years took a great deal out of me physically and emotionally, thus I don’t feel that I am well qualified to contribute to camp on a year-in-year-out basis…As long as I can find the right type of people to stay there, i.e., those concerned with active conservation, then I am satisfied to simply visit and otherwise write up data…Don, the book is in the final edited state but I still don’t know when it will be published. Sorry to be so slow but I sure am busy!”
October 20, 1981: “I completely agree with you about the conservation efforts currently being carried out in Rwanda as a case of two steps forward and three steps backward, though this isn’t a fact that many people are willing to accept on this side of the ocean. Because tourism is thriving in the Parc des Volcans, it is more popular and, as well, easier to think of the conservation problem as solved. I have heard nothing more of further gorilla killings though there are several people who correspond with me who state that the saddle areas between Mikeno, Visoke and Karisimi are still filled with poachers with guns being heard on a daily basis. This is the kind of news that [Sandy] Harcourt is unwilling to relate; happily he is not my only source of information.”
The last two letters, both one page, Karisoke Research Centre letterhead, dated January 23 and September 26, 1979, are affixed to the closing pages of a sought-after first edition of Gorillas in the Mist, hardcover with dust jacket, published by Hodder and Stoughton of London in 1983, which itself is signed and inscribed on the title page in black ink, “To Don Cousins, with the deepest of admiration and respect for all that you have contributed to the world’s knowledge of gorillas. Dian Fossey, Feb. 17, 1984.” Portions of the last two letters are as follows:
On January 23, 1979, Fossey details the deaths of two gorillas, Coco and Pucker, citing the causes of death as “cystic thymic dysplasia with lethal gram-negative septicemia,” and affirming that “The Cologne is totally responsible as the symptoms began, respectively, in Feb. (Pucker) and April (Coco) with last minute ‘treatments.’” She continues: “The Europeans that promise Rwandese money for their ‘difficulties’ against poacher harassments are as guilty for the killing of Uncle Bert and Macho and Kweli as though they themselves had pulled the trigger. As the money is still be promised to the Rwandese, in ever larger sums, the killings will continue.” The book also comes with a letter from Fossey’s publisher, which concerns arrangements for their meeting in London when this book was signed.
On September 26, 1979, Fossey gives updates on a new gorilla birth and the destruction of over 1,000 poacher traps before stating: “Yes, I’ve written a book, now in the editing process…I personally like the editor very much but we have differences of opinion about whether this should be a book about Fossey or about the gorillas. I feel it should only be about the gorillas, but she wants to include too much Fossey and camp life. I don’t think that is why people would buy the book, so a mild hassle is going on at the moment.” The archive as a whole is in overall fine condition; the book is in very good condition, with a bit of loss to the front endpaper, some adhesive remnants from prior items mounted inside, and aforementioned letters and news clippings affixed in rear. Accompanied by two postcard letters from Fossey’s team to Cousins, two printed newsletters, and one confidential report.
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