Publication of Gorillas in the Mist

In 1983, Dian Fossey published Gorillas in the Mist through Houghton Mifflin, a book that distilled nearly two decades of her fieldwork observing and living among mountain gorillas in the Virunga Mountains. While the precise release day is not definitively documented in available sources, publication is placed in early autumn of that year based on contemporary records.

The book combined rigorous scientific observation with deeply personal narrative, describing gorilla social structures, family bonds, communication, and the mounting threats of poaching and habitat loss that endangered the species. It humanized gorillas for a mass audience in a way no prior scientific work had, challenging long-held stereotypes of gorillas as fearsome "King Kong"-style monsters and instead revealing them as gentle, family-oriented, highly intelligent animals.

The book became an international bestseller and was later adapted into the 1988 film of the same name starring Sigourney Weaver, which was nominated for multiple Academy Awards and further amplified global attention on gorilla conservation. Gorillas in the Mist remains one of the most influential works in the popular literature of wildlife conservation, credited with mobilizing public support, donations, and policy attention that helped prevent the mountain gorilla's extinction. It stands as Fossey's most enduring public legacy, still assigned in academic curricula and referenced in conservation advocacy today.