Kwita Izina - Rwanda Gorilla Naming Ceremony

The annual Gorilla Naming Ceremony is a tradition of the Banyarwanda people, celebrated for decades. This ceremony is known as 'Kwita Izina' which means 'to give a name'. The Gorilla Naming Ceremony is a conscious effort to not only raise awareness of the Gorillas in Rwanda, but also to highlight Rwanda as an excellent tourist destination.

Celebrating the birth of Gorillas in Rwanda in their natural habitat is the main purpose behind this event, which is on its way to becoming one of the world’s premier tourist events in Rwanda. The theme of this year’s event was 'Caring for Wildlife concerns us all'. Every birth is a confirmation of a successful conservation and protection program, with the hope of one day removing the Mountain Gorilla off the endangered species list.

This year the ceremony was held on the 30 June 2007 and saw 23 Gorilla being named. Rwanda is proud to be the first country to have a public Gorilla naming ceremony and intends to use this event to firstly, raise awareness at a national and international level to protect the few remaining Mountain Gorilla, secondly, to announce the success of Rwanda's conservation efforts of the Mountain Gorilla and thirdly, to attract tourists to the Kwita Izina ceremonies.

This year the Gorilla Naming Ceremony was held in Musanze district in Kinigi, Rwanda. Under the theme of 'Caring for Wildlife Concerns us all', the event aims to celebrate the efforts of those who have selflessly contributed to the welfare and conservation of wildlife and its success thereof.