Mountain gorillas are one of the great conservation success stories, but welfare threats from tourism-transmitted disease, habitat encroachment, and snare injuries persist.
Mountain gorilla welfare involves a delicate balance between the conservation funding generated by tourism and the welfare harms of disease transmission and habituation. Groups that are too habituated to humans are vulnerable to respiratory virus outbreaks that cause serious illness and death. Veterinary field intervention for snare injuries and disease treatment saves lives but requires careful welfare protocols for wild animals. The conservation success of this species demonstrates what is achievable when wildlife is assigned sufficient economic and cultural value to fund intensive protection.