All four gorilla subspecies are endangered or critically endangered, facing welfare threats from habitat destruction for agriculture and mining, disease, and poaching.
Gorilla welfare is threatened at every level. Deforestation forces gorillas into smaller, degraded habitats where nutritional stress and human contact increase. Disease outbreaks - particularly respiratory illnesses transmitted from humans - cause mass mortality in some populations. Poaching disrupts stable social groups, causing lasting trauma to surviving members. In captivity, gorillas require large, naturalistic social groups to meet their complex psychological and social needs. Excellent captive welfare is achievable in well-resourced facilities, but only when reproduction and conservation goals are balanced with individual wellbeing.