The Rwandan Development Board (RDB) has announced that 23 baby gorillas will be named at the 19th Kwita Izina Gorilla Naming Ceremony to be held on September 1.
The ceremony will take place on the foothills of Volcanoes National Park in Kinigi, Musanze District. The communities who live around the home of the endangered mountain gorillas will join in at the celebration of nature and conservation.
The 23 baby gorillas, born in the last 12 months, are preceded by 374 baby gorillas who have been named since the beginning of the naming ceremony tradition, first celebrated in 2005.
The gorillas will be named by partners, conservationists, international and local personalities, dignitaries and friends of Rwanda, who will be revealed closer to the time.
Rwanda’s conservation efforts, including the successful implementation of the principle of ‘quality not quantity’ in gorilla tourism, has allowed the gorilla population to grow, providing better experiences for travellers.
“We are excited to return to Kinigi this year for the 19th Kwita Izina Gorilla Naming Ceremony. This year we celebrate the gains made in our tourism and conservation efforts, notably the majestic Mountain gorillas,” said RDB Chief Executive Officer, Clare Akamanzi.
Rwanda’s most recent tourism figures showed that the country generated US$247 million (R4,7bn) in the first half of 2023 – a 56% increase over the $158 million (R3bn) generated by mid-2022.
“Last year, Rwanda’s gorilla tourism was the best-performing segment and the trend shows that 2023 is expected to grow further and take us beyond recovery and towards our national targets,” said Akamanzi.
Other events that will be part of the Kwita Izina celebrations include the Rhino Velo Race in Akagera National Park, countrywide familiarisation tours for international tour operators and travel media, and a Kwita Izina concert.
