Western lowland gorillas in zoos require sophisticated social group management to achieve positive welfare. Silverback dynamics, group stability and enrichment provision are central to welfare assessment.
Gorilla welfare in zoos pivots on social group quality. A gorilla in a technically excellent facility but with an incompatible social group, inadequate space or insufficient cognitive stimulation will not achieve positive welfare. Silverback management is particularly complex - males who cannot express their social role appropriately show frustration aggression, stereotypies and reproductive dysfunction. The welfare quality of gorilla exhibits varies enormously across institutions; the best provide naturalistic group compositions, extensive space with diverse substrates, multiple daily enrichment sessions and keeper relationships built on positive reinforcement.