Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Rwanda Musanze Dian Fossey's Grave

Dian Fossey's Grave

Burial site of the world's most widely known researcher on the endangered mountain gorilla.

Musanze, Rwanda

Added By
Nick Jackson
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
  http://www.laprogressive.com/wp-content/up...
  http://www.rwanda-direct.com/encounter-rwa...
  http://www.gorilladoctorsblog.org/storage/...
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Found murdered in the bedroom of her cabin in the Virunga Mountains of Rwanda in 1985, Dian Fossey was - and remains - the most widely-known researcher on the endangered mountain gorilla, of which only about 250 are believed to still live in the wild.

The last entry in Fossey's diary, which was found in her cabin, read: "When you realize the value of all life, you dwell less on what is past and concentrate on the preservation of the future."

Fossey's skull had been split open with a machete, a tool used by poachers in the area to hunt and kill the gorilla for resale. It is assumed that the poachers of the area, which Fossey had fought hard for nearly a decade, had her killed to make their lives easier. Thousands of dollars in cash, checks, and other valuables were found untouched in the cabin.

Today, Fossey is buried next to her dead gorilla friends, many of which had been killed by the very poachers that likely hunted her. After her death, memorial services were held in Washington D.C., New York, and California. The cabins in which she and her staff lived do not exist anymore except for a few bare foundations, overgrown with weeds.

Related Tags

Memento Mori Dead Explorers

Know Before You Go

This is a difficult hike, steep at places, that will take about five hours. Wear gloves and cover up to protect yourself from the stinging flora. All tourist groups are accompanied by armed guards to protect against poachers and wild animals.

Community Contributors

Added By

nbj914

Published

December 7, 2010

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • Wikipedia: Dian Fossey: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dian_Fossey
  • Dian Fossey Grave: http://www.go-safari.com/Volcans/ParcFossey.htm
  • Trip Advisor: Dian Fossey's Grave: http://www.tripadvisor.in/ShowTopic-g293829-i9988-k3197291-Hike_to_Dian_Fossey_s_grave-Kigali.html
Dian Fossey's Grave
Musanze
Rwanda
-1.429167, 29.548333

Nearby Places

Nyiragongo Volcano

Democratic Republic of the Congo

miles away

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Kisoro, Uganda

miles away

Congo Nile Trail

Gisenyi, Rwanda

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Rwanda

Rwanda

Africa

Places 7
Stories 7

Nearby Places

Nyiragongo Volcano

Democratic Republic of the Congo

miles away

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Kisoro, Uganda

miles away

Congo Nile Trail

Gisenyi, Rwanda

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Rwanda

Rwanda

Africa

Places 7
Stories 7

Related Places

  • The man-eaters of Tsavo at the Field Museum, Chicago

    Chicago, Illinois

    Tsavo Man Eaters

    These pretty kitties killed and ate as many as 135 railway workers.

  • View into the Bug Pit

    Bukhara, Uzbekistan

    "The Bug Pit" at Zindon Prison

    Where Stoddart and Connolly suffered in the infamous Bug Pit.

  • Close up of some of the “engraving”

    Westford, Massachusetts

    Westford Knight

    Supposed Massachusetts Grave of a pre-Columbus Knight Templar.

  • Bicycles in the Deke Slayton Space & Bicycle Museum. (Kiersten Gray/Atlas Obscura)

    Sparta, Wisconsin

    Deke Slayton Memorial Space & Bicycle Museum

    Small-town museum dedicated to outer space ... and bicycles.

  • Grytviken, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

    The Grave of Ernest Shackleton

    Final resting place of Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton.

  • London, England

    Sir Richard Burton's Tent-Tomb

    Eclectic final resting place of the controversial explorer.

  • Chiesa di Santa Croce detta “Dei Morti”

    Canneto sull'Oglio, Italy

    Chiesa di Santa Croce detta 'Dei Morti'

    Photographs of the faces of the town's dead cover the walls of this small Italian church.

  • Coffin Crypts of Brashear’s Cemetery

    Combs, Arkansas

    False Crypts of Brashears Cemetery

    There are no bodies inside these stone coffins. And there never were.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.