Mountain gorillas have rebounded from near-extinction through intensive conservation, but remaining populations face disease risk, habitat pressure, and human conflict.
Mountain gorillas living near human populations face chronic welfare threats. Human-transmitted respiratory viruses — including common cold and influenza strains — can cause severe illness and death in immunologically naive gorillas. Habituation reduces flight distance from humans, permanently altering natural behavior and increasing exposure. Snares set for other animals injure gorillas; veterinary teams regularly perform snare removal surgeries that, while life-saving, are stressful interventions. Gorillas in conflict zones experience habitat disruption, loss of group members to poaching, and displacement from core ranges — chronic stressors with significant welfare costs.