Primate tourism at natural habitats can support conservation but creates welfare costs through habituation, disease transmission, and behavioral disruption that require careful management.
Legitimate primate tourism at managed natural habitats involves genuine welfare tradeoffs. Habituation to humans exposes primates to disease risks they would not otherwise face, and research confirms respiratory disease transmission from human visitors to mountain gorillas. Behavioral disruption from extended tourist presence affects ranging patterns and social interactions. However, the conservation funding generated by well-managed primate tourism has been essential for protecting mountain gorilla and chimpanzee populations. Strict distance rules, sick visitor exclusion, and group size limits manage but do not eliminate these welfare costs.