The Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project health care policy is that veterinary intervention will only occur when the problem is human induced, such as an injury caused by a snare, or when the condition is life-threatening to the mountain gorilla. When a mountain gorilla has to be anesthetized for life-threatening or human caused conditions, such as snare removal, the veterinarian may collect small blood and urine samples for disease and physiological study. The late Dr. James Foster was the founding veterinarian of the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Center in Rwanda in 1986. Since that time many leading wildlife veterinarians have served at the Center. These veterinarians have played a large role in saving the mountain gorillas from extinction.
Mountain gorillas are very susceptible to human diseases.
Protecting mountain gorillas from human contact is imperative. Mountain gorillas also fall prey to poacher's snares illegally set to trap antelope in the national park. The snares cause deep lacerations often leading to possible gangrene and death if they are not removed. Veterinary treatment of a mountain gorilla is a dangerous and challenging procedure that involves a team of experts directed by the attending veterinarian. The health care team may spend as much as four or more hours tracking the gorilla needing health care.