Wild gorillas are highly susceptible to human respiratory diseases, making tourism and research protocols critical for protecting their welfare and survival.
Disease transmission from humans to gorillas represents an acute and largely invisible welfare threat: habituated gorilla groups that have lost fear of humans are maximally vulnerable to respiratory pathogens that human visitors carry asymptomatically. A respiratory outbreak in a mountain gorilla group causes visible distress — laboured breathing, nasal discharge, reduced appetite, and social withdrawal — in animals with no natural immunity to human viruses. The welfare imperative of infection prevention is inseparable from conservation: small populations cannot absorb disease-driven mortality. Strict adherence to approach distance and health screening requirements protects gorilla welfare directly, and responsible tourism that funds anti-poaching and veterinary support provides the economic foundation for long-term protection.