Kwita Izina – A Rwanda gorilla naming ceremony

Kwita Izina – A Rwanda gorilla naming ceremony for giving a name to a newborn baby gorilla. It is named after the ancestral baby naming ceremony that happened after the birth of a newborn in the Rwandan culture.

The ceremony’s main goal is in helping monitor each individual gorilla and their groups in their natural habitat. It was created as a means of bringing attention both locally and internationally about the importance of protecting the mountain gorillas and their habitats in Volcanoes National Park in the Virunga Mountains in the north of the country.

Kwita Izina – A centuries old Rwandan tradition for giving a name to a new born baby. Rwanda celebrates new births of the rare mountain gorillas through naming.

The Kwita Izina gorilla naming ceremony is modelled off a centuries old tradition in which Rwandans name their children in the presence of family and friends. For three decades prior to the first official gorilla naming ceremony, park rangers and researchers named Rwanda’s mountain gorilla babies as part of monitoring each gorilla in their family and habitat.

In 2005, Rwanda began officially naming mountain gorillas in what has become a global celebration of nature. By giving a name to these majestic animals, we give them a value they undoubtedly deserve.

The ceremony is first and foremost an opportunity to thank the communities that live around the gorilla habitat, Volcanoes National Park, our research partners, vets and the dedicated conservationists, rangers and trackers who protect the gorillas rain, hail or shine, 365 days a year.

Over the last fifteen years, more than 300 mountain gorillas have been named and today Kwita Izina forms part of an ambitious strategy to preserve our natural heritage and further expand the role of tourism in our country’s transformation. As a result of the naming ceremony, Rwandans from all walks of life understand the intrinsic value of gorillas as well as their contribution to the country’s economic prosperity. Rwandans have become gorilla guardians.

Overall, Rwanda has emerged as a conservation and sustainable tourism leader on the continent. For instance, while in the 2010 Census there were 480 mountain gorillas, the 2016 Census report indicated 604 individuals in the Virunga Massif, These efforts have contributed to the increase in number of mountain gorillas worldwide (1,004), and categorised as no longer critically endangered.

The first Kwita Izina ceremony was held in 2005 and currently the Kwita Izina celebrations are mostly held in September every year with international celebrities bracing the event from Sports personalities, media personalities, movie stars, world leaders, etc

The ceremony is held at the Kwita Izina grounds in Kinigi near the Volcanoes national park head quarters. You can join the celebrations every year with a Rwanda gorilla trekking safari in the Volcanoes national park.

You can join the celebrations while on your Uganda – Rwanda safari with us.

Kwita Izina means naming in Kinyarwanda the Rwandan local language.

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