Drill monkeys are among the most endangered primates in Africa, facing severe threats from hunting and habitat loss while existing in limited conservation programmes.
Drill welfare sits at the intersection of conservation crisis and welfare science, as one of the most endangered and least-known African primates. The bushmeat hunting that drives population decline also generates welfare harm at the individual animal level — hunting methods including snares and shooting cause injury and prolonged suffering. Orphaned infant drills, taken when their mothers are killed for bushmeat, require years of intensive rehabilitation at facilities like the Drill Rehabilitation and Breeding Centre before integration into social groups. The welfare of individuals in this facility — and the quality of their eventual release or long-term sanctuary care — depends on adequate funding and skilled management. Wild drill welfare is inseparable from habitat and hunting pressure management.