Digit had no playmates his age in his group and was drawn to her and she to him. Tragically, on Dec. 31, 1977, Digit was killed by poachers. He died helping to defend his group, allowing them to escape safely. He was stabbed multiple times and his head and hands were severed. It was then that Dian Fossey declared war on the poachers. Fossey and Digit had been part of a famous photo shoot with photographer Bob Campbell appearing on posters and in travel agencies throughout the world. Fossey used Digit’s celebrity and his tragic death to gain attention and support for gorilla conservation. She established the Digit Fund to raise money for her “active conservation” and anti-poaching initiatives. The Digit Fund would later be renamed the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International. In 1983, Fossey’s book entitled Gorillas in the Mist was published. It told the story of her years in the rainforest with the mountain gorillas. It brought attention to the need for concerted conservation efforts. The book was well received and, like the movie of the same name, remains popular to this day. Tragically, on December 26, 1985, Fossey was murdered at her research camp on Mount Visoke, presumably by poachers. No one has ever been found or prosecuted in her murder. The search for her killers is ongoing, and her research with gorillas continues today
Digit had no playmates his age in his group and was drawn to her and she to him. Tragically, on Dec. 31, 1977, Digit was killed by poachers. He died helping to defend his group, allowing them to escape safely. He was stabbed multiple times and his head and hands were severed. It was then that Dian Fossey declared war on the poachers. Fossey and Digit had been part of a famous photo shoot with photographer Bob Campbell appearing on posters and in travel agencies throughout the world. Fossey used Digit’s celebrity and his tragic death to gain attention and support for gorilla conservation. She established the Digit Fund to raise money for her “active conservation” and anti-poaching initiatives. The Digit Fund would later be renamed the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International. In 1983, Fossey’s book entitled Gorillas in the Mist was published. It told the story of her years in the rainforest with the mountain gorillas. It brought attention to the need for concerted conservation efforts. The book was well received and, like the movie of the same name, remains popular to this day. Tragically, on December 26, 1985, Fossey was murdered at her research camp on Mount Visoke, presumably by poachers. No one has ever been found or prosecuted in her murder. The search for her killers is ongoing, and her research with gorillas continues today