In 1963, young American Dian Fossey spent all her savings and took out a loan to realize her dream — to go to Africa. It soon became her life's mission to study and protect the few mountain gorillas left on Earth. Fossey had no experience or formal scientific training, but she was smart, passionate, and strong-willed — and she just happened to meet paleoanthropologist Louis Leakey, who helped her pursue her goal of studying animals in the wild.
Over the next 18 years, Fossey got closer to gorillas than any human ever had before. As she learned to mimic their behavior and became accepted by them, Fossey's studies grew into a labor of love and a mission to protect her beloved gorillas from poachers and other threats — no matter what the cost.
Sadly, Fossey was murdered at her camp in 1985, and to this day, her death remains a mystery. But her legacy lives on through the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. Unforgotten is the dramatic conclusion to Silvey's trilogy of biographies on Leakey's "Trimates," which includes Untamed: The Wild Life of Jane Goodall and Undaunted: The Wild Life of Biruté Mary Galdikas. With unparalleled storytelling, sidebars, maps, and an award-winning design, this book will inspire the next generation of budding scientists and conservationists.
"Silvey deals honestly with Fossey’s internal battles, including alcohol reliance and emotional trauma, and her murder in 1985, but largely elides the myriad repercussions of her anti-poaching efforts. Employing lush, full-color photographs of gorillas and rainforest-covered mountains, and informative sidebars on related themes (e.g., the history of San Francisco, the Leakey family) this is a visually compelling... treatment of its subject." — Publishers Weekly
Recommended Age | 8 - 12 |
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Author | Anita Silvey |
ISBN | 1426371853 |
Publication Date | Jun 29, 2021 |
Publisher | National Geographic Kids |
Language | English |