The 15th Kwita Izina – Baby Gorilla Naming Ceremony 2019

The ceremony of giving a name to a newborn 1s Kwita Izina. Names attributed to the gorillas play a significant role in the monitoring of each individual gorilla in their families and habitat.

A names professes the aspiration parents have for their children” explained the Rwanda Development Board Chief Tourism Officer, Belise Kariza. “So we determine our own destiny through the names we give our children. In a way we are defining our common destiny through Kwita Izina – we are defining where we want to go.” The ceremony of giving a name to a newborn as Kwita Izina has been part of Rwandan culture for centuries.

 

 

 

Names attributed to the gorillas play a significant role in the on-going program of monitoring each individual gorilla in their families and habitat. Kwita Izina, a uniquely Rwandan event, was introduced in 2005 with the aim of creating awareness of conservation efforts for the endangered mountain gorilla.

For three decades prior to the first official gorilla naming ceremony, the naming of baby gorillas was carried out by rangers and researchers that closely monitor these unique animals on a daily basis.

Kwita Izina has been attended by thousands of international, regional and local participants over the recent years. The Government of Rwanda and conservation partners have donated substantial resources to gorilla conservation and continue to do so. Each year new born gorilla babies are celebrated in an exciting event at the foothills of the Virunga Mountains.

Kwita Izina is fast becoming known as Africa’s leading dialogue on conservation and tourism. Alongside the naming ceremony, a week long celebration of activities is taking place; a Conservation exhibition and highly acclaimed Conversation dialogue forum are hosted in Kigali, a fund- raising dinner and hosted familiarization trips for international Tour Operators and Media comprise an important part of the event activities.

Baby Gorilla Namers

 

 

 

 

DID YOU KNOW:  Baby gorillas are tiny- weighting less than 2 kilos? However, Gorilla infants develop almost twice as fast as human infant

August 2019
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