Mountain gorillas are one of very few large mammal species whose numbers are genuinely increasing. Their recovery is a model of what sustained, community-centred conservation can achieve.
Mountain gorilla welfare is inseparable from their conservation context. Individual gorillas benefit from veterinary care that saves lives from snare injuries and disease — welfare interventions that directly contribute to population recovery. Tourism management protocols protect gorillas from disease exposure while generating the revenue that funds conservation. In the DRC, gorillas in conflict zones face disruption to normal social life, displacement from secure habitat, and exposure to human violence. The integrated approach to mountain gorilla conservation — combining protection, community benefit-sharing, veterinary care, and international funding — represents one of the most comprehensive welfare-conservation programmes in existence.