2018 Gorilla Naming Ceremony in Rwanda – 18 Baby gorilla to be given names
Just like newborn babies are named in human families, volcanoes national park celebrates the birth of new baby gorillas each year. It’s a yearly event in which baby gorillas are given names for easy identification of each baby mountain gorilla in his/her respective family. Gorilla naming ceremony is one of the key activities that make gorilla tours to Rwanda exceptional. This year, kwita izina is set to take place on September 7 at the head quarters of volcanoes national park in kiningi where 18 baby gorillas will be named. In most cases, the named babies are those ones born after the last naming. Each baby is given a different name based on the circumstance in which it was born, the future expectations and the location it was born. The purpose of gorilla naming is to ease the monitoring of each mountain gorilla in the national. Rwanda is the only destination where gorillas and thousands of travelers both locals and internationals travel to Rwanda to witness this event. Also, gorilla-naming ceremony is a platform through which Rwanda development board spreads the importance of gorilla tourism and wildlife conservation. The ceremony attracts a high number of people both travelers, conservationists, researchers and local people to enjoy this joyful moment. Last year over, 2000 people attended the event hence a great hope for a great number this year.
Gorilla naming ceremony/ Kwita Izina was launched in 2005 and it’s when the first set of baby gorillas was named. Since then, over 258 mountain gorillas have been given different names, which is surely a great achievement. The babies are picked from different gorilla families in Volcanoes national park. The park has a total of 10 gorilla families and is a home to the highest population of gorillas in the Virunga conservation area.
Besides gorilla naming, a series of activities will take place to make your safari more informative and interesting. Some activities will take place before the gorilla naming while others in the due course. Travelers are allowed to take park in any of these activities, which make their safari more interesting. Among the events that will take place include:
The familiarization trip: This is the first event that will take place before gorilla naming. The function is aimed at bringing together all local and international tour operators together with media will gather and share ideas for the wellbeing of Rwanda’s tourism sector. Also, this event is an opportunity for Rwanda development board and the Rwanda tour operators to exhibit Rwanda’s attractions and diverse culture, which together set Rwanda as an exceptional tourism destination worthy visiting. Interestingly, travelers in this event will visit different tourism sites such as the king’s palace in Nyanza, Nyungwe forest national park, Akagera national park lake kivu and volcanoes national park among other attractions in the land of a thousand hills.
Also, travelers will attend a 2 days kwita izina conservation exhibition together with the conservation on conservation forum in Kigali. Here travelers will be introduced to the great achievements of Rwanda in conservation. These achievements will be displayed inform of educational materials and other tourism products which make Rwanda a destination to visit.
On the last day of kwita izina, all participants will attend the igitaramo for a cultural dinner as they say fare well to each other’s. The dinner will be a celebration of Rwanda’s conservation success story in conservation and at the same time helping to protect wildlife and bio diversity for future generations. Also, different tour operators and tourism officials will fundraise for the support of Rwanda’s ongoing projects such as the expansion of volcanoes national park a habit for mountain gorillas in Rwanda. Travelers will also enjoy entertainment by the locals as well as local style cuisine on the shores of idyllic lake kivu in Rubavu.
Further more, the management of red rocks cultural center has planned something special. On the eve gorilla naming ceremony, travelers will gather at red rocks cultural center to join with other dignitaries, friends of gorillas, tourists and locals as the bid farewell to those who will have attended the event of gorilla naming. Different tour operators will share their success stories in tourism and encouraging forward movement. It will be an opportunity for the attendees to meet with different tourism and conservation players from abroad spectrum in tourism industry. Further more, these participants will share salient details about the history of eco tourism in volcanoes national park and the Virunga conservation area as a whole. Different benefits of ecotourism to the government, the endangered mountain gorillas and local people will also be recognized. Still there, different concepts and approaches that the government and other private institutions have undertaken o encourage growth of ecotourism.
Different policy makers, civil society, conservationists, philanthropists, local communities and volunteers will attend the event. All the attendees will brainstorm and discuss the current and future of the volcanoes national park tourism, conservation and sustainable development.
On September 6th, travelers will go back to red rocks cultural center to engage in conservation themed art exhibits and live paintings demo. Here travelers will take part in the demonstrations by doing their own paintings which they will take home as souvenirs.
Besides wildlife related activities, travelers will enjoy other activities, which include a football tournament organized with conservation education in mind. Here football enthusiasts may join the youth on the foot of the Virungas. The finals will be played in the evening of kwita izina volcanoes national park tournament.
Conclusively, book a gorilla safari to Rwanda, be part of the memorable 2018 gorilla naming ceremony and experience you cannot find else where in the world except in Rwanda.
