Habituating wild primates for tourism generates conservation funding but creates welfare risks. Understanding the tradeoffs helps travellers and conservationists make informed decisions.
Primate tourism creates genuine welfare tensions. Habituated gorillas and chimpanzees are more accessible to tourists who provide conservation funding, but they are also more exposed to human disease and potentially more vulnerable to poaching. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted disease risks: several tourism operations were suspended when the welfare risk of respiratory virus transmission became acute. Well-regulated gorilla tourism with strict health protocols, distance requirements and visitor limits represents a pragmatic conservation-welfare compromise that has contributed to mountain gorilla population recovery. Poorly regulated tourism operations with inadequate health screening, close contact and excessive visitor numbers impose unjustifiable welfare costs. Travellers choosing ethical wildlife tourism operations with strong welfare protocols contribute positively.