Mountain and western gorillas face welfare threats from habitat loss, poaching, disease, and human conflict, with conservation programs including veterinary intervention improving individual welfare.
Wild gorilla welfare represents a relatively advanced integration of conservation medicine and individual animal welfare. Conservation medicine programs in the Virunga mountains treat injured and diseased gorillas, removing snares, treating respiratory disease, and providing veterinary care that directly improves individual welfare alongside conservation outcomes. The recovery of mountain gorilla populations demonstrates that intensive conservation combined with welfare-focused veterinary intervention can achieve meaningful results for highly endangered species. The grief-like behaviors gorillas show when group members die underscores the emotional richness of their social lives.