Mountain gorillas are one of the few great ape subspecies whose population is increasing. Conservation programs including tourism-funded protection have improved welfare while creating new pressures.
Mountain gorilla welfare is closely tied to the political stability and conservation funding of their range countries. Rangers who protect gorilla families from poachers provide direct individual welfare protection - without protection, infants are captured and adults killed. Disease transmission from humans represents a growing welfare concern as tourism and ranger contact provide transmission routes for respiratory viruses to which gorillas have limited immunity. The COVID pandemic demonstrated the fragility of tourism-dependent conservation - funding gaps during closure periods threatened ranger deployment. The welfare of gorillas that live in long-term habituated groups is significantly better than those in unprotected areas because human presence deters poachers and enables rapid response to health problems.