Mountain gorillas are the only great ape with an increasing population, and veterinary intervention for injured and sick individuals is a critical conservation tool.
Gorilla Doctors veterinarians perform snare removal, wound treatment, and treatment of respiratory illness in free-ranging gorillas. These interventions save lives and prevent permanent disability. The decision to intervene in wild animal health requires careful ethical consideration, but for a population this small and this well-studied, intervention is widely considered justified.