On Saturday, the Rwandan government named 24 baby gorillas, as part of its annual Kwita Izina naming ceremony that takes place in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park every year.
Kwita Izina naming ceremony highlights the importance of conservation
The event, largely considered a popular tourist attraction, has been taking place for the past 11 years. This year, in a scene The Guardian describes as “reminiscent of Planet of the Apes,” a dozen performers in hairy gorilla suits danced around by the foot of the volcano, taking the place of the 24 baby gorillas, which were not present at the ceremony.
The naming ceremony pays homage to a Rwandan tradition celebrating the birth of a child. Aside from its role as a tourist attraction, the event sheds light on the importance of conservation in the country. Today, the World Wildlife Fund estimates that there are only 900 mountain gorillas left in the world. In recent years, however, the population size has seen a slow increase, especially since the initiation of Kwita Izina back in 2005.
“Hopefully the continuation will soon be no longer to call them an endangered species,” said Yamina Karitanyi, the Rwanda Development Board’s chief tourism officer.
ECOTOURISM AND THE CONSERVATION EFFORT IN RWANDA
This year, Kagame, Rwanda’s sixth and current president, was also present at the event. He stated, “Conservation efforts show that the first beneficiaries of protecting the environment are citizens.”
Ecotourism, in particular, has been a vital driving force behind Rwanda’s economy and its conservation efforts. In contrast to standard tourism, ecotourism is directed towards exotic and generally threatened natural environments with support to conservation. Today, for example, foreign visitors pay $70 (£494) to go gorilla tracking in the national park, according to The Guardian. By contrast, Rwandans can go for under $50.
The revenue generated from tourism has allowed the government to construct primary schools and fund community projects to build roads, bridges, and health centers. In fact, in the past decade, Rwanda has generated nearly $1.83m (£1.21m) in tourism revenue alone.
Conservation is key to preserving the beautiful world around us. Now, you can also bring nature indoors with the help of the Atmoph:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vD63kwQuZ2I
Baby Mountain Gorillas Named In Rwanda Ceremony
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