Gorillas are highly social great apes whose welfare in zoos depends critically on appropriate troop structure, sufficient space, and enrichment that supports their complex social and cognitive needs.
Gorilla welfare in captivity requires sustaining the social complexity that defines their wild lives. Single-housed gorillas suffer from social deprivation regardless of physical comfort, and introducing unfamiliar gorillas to established groups requires skilled management to prevent serious injury. The shift toward larger, naturalistic gorilla habitats with browse-rich environments and scatter feeding has substantially improved welfare at leading institutions. Foraging enrichment that requires problem-solving and extends feeding time across hours rather than minutes addresses a fundamental behavioral need. Male management, including the provision of bachelor groups for non-breeding males, is an important welfare innovation that prevents the isolation and frustration of young males without breeding opportunities.