Rwanda Names 22 Baby Mountain Gorillas

Rwanda celebrated the 21st edition of its annual Kwita Izina Gorilla Naming Ceremony on September 4, officially naming 22 baby mountain gorillas at the foothills of Volcanoes National Park.

The ceremony, held under the theme “Conservation is Life: Sustaining the Future,” brought together local communities, conservationists, international partners and distinguished guests from around the world.

Rwandan Prime Minister Dr. Justin Nsengiyumva, the Guest of Honour, said the mountain gorilla population has made a remarkable recovery from around 250 in the Virunga Massif in the early 1980s to more than 1,000 worldwide today, including over 600 in the Virunga Massif.

Kwita Izina, meaning “to give a name” in Kinyarwanda, was officially launched as an annual event in 2005. With this year’s 22 baby gorillas, a total of 460 gorillas have now been named through the ceremony.

This year’s gorilla namers included prominent personalities from conservation, tourism, business, sports, entertainment and philanthropy, highlighting Rwanda’s continued commitment to wildlife conservation and sustainable development.