With fewer than 1,100 individuals remaining, mountain gorillas benefit from active veterinary intervention programs that have contributed to population recovery.
Mountain gorillas living near human settlements face disease threats unknown in their evolutionary history. Respiratory illness causes suffering visible in behavioral changes - gorillas become lethargic, refuse food, and lose social engagement. Without veterinary intervention, treatable conditions kill animals whose populations cannot absorb the loss. The ethical case for active management is unusually strong given the critically endangered status and high human-driven disease load.