The welfare of infant gorillas in zoos depends critically on maternal bonding and group dynamics, with hand-rearing representing a welfare risk that best practice seeks to minimise.
Infant gorilla welfare is fundamentally dependent on the quality of maternal care and social context. When mothers are rejecting or inexperienced, facilities face a dilemma: hand-rearing saves the infant's physical life but causes serious psychological harm through social isolation and inappropriate human attachment. Best practice attempts to prevent rejection through careful group management, providing role model females, and using experienced surrogates where possible. Facilities that have historically hand-raised many gorillas face the ongoing challenge of integrating these socially disadvantaged individuals into stable groups.