Rwanda’s Gorilla Naming Ceremony
Get ready to experience one of the world’s most important celebrations of nature and meet Rwanda’s newborn baby gorillas
Kwita Izina is modelled off a centuries old tradition in which Rwandans name their children in the presence of family and friends. 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 an opportunity to thank the communities that live around Volcanoes National Park, our research partners, vets and the dedicated conservationists, rangers and trackers who protect the gorillas. Over the last 16 years, 328 mountain gorillas have been named.
Watch again a Celebration of Conservation
World Gorilla Day
The 17th Kwita Izina Gorilla Naming Ceremony will be held on World Gorilla Day. The annual World Gorilla Day is celebrated on 24 September, the day that Dian Fossey established the Karisoke Research Center in 1967.
World Gorilla Day encourages people around the globe to join the conservation efforts to protect gorillas in the wild. Holding Kwita Izina on World Gorilla Day provides the opportunity to harness the global attention on gorillas on this special date and work with conservation and tourism partners around the world to highlight what Rwanda is doing to protect these majestic animals.
