Discuss some of Fossey's final thoughts about her studies and the longevity of the gorillas.

Fossey says that there is no way for groups to live without the unifying force of a strong silverback leader. Even if the groups have a strong leader, there are continued threats because of poachers, encroaching human population and less land available. These factors combined result in a lessening of gorilla population at a rate of three percent annually. Fossey states that it's estimated that twenty species will disappear from the face of the earth over the next twenty years. It is up to humans to decide whether gorillas will be one of those species.