The movie and book "Gorillas in the Mist" are about Dian Fossey, an American primatologist and conservationist. She devoted her life to studying and protecting the endangered mountain gorillas in the Virunga Mountains of Africa, particularly in Rwanda. Fossey lived among the gorillas for over a decade, gaining an unprecedented understanding of their behavior and social bonds. She also fiercely campaigned against poaching, which posed a major threat to the gorillas. Tragically, Fossey was murdered in 1985, but her work has had a lasting impact on gorilla conservation efforts worldwide.