Rwanda holds an annual mountain gorilla naming ceremony for newborn gorillas called Kwita Izina. The word Kwita Izina was derived from the Rwandan traditional naming ceremony of newborns in a family. This tradition was adapted to mountain gorillas as they are among man’s closest primates, with over 95% DNA similar to that of humans.
Gorilla naming helps monitor the routine and growth of the endangered primates amidst the danger they still face threatened by climate change and habitat loss. The mountain gorilla population is currently estimated at 1100 with Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park having the highest number in the Virunga Massif.
Kwita Izina will be held on 18th October at the Kwita Izina grounds near Volcanoes National Park headquarters. Be part of this gorilla conservation journey by taking on Rwanda Discovery Journeys to name a baby gorilla.
##About Mountain Gorillas
Mountain gorillas are primates of the apes family that live in the forested mountains in East Africa. They live in families of up to 20 individuals each led by a dominant male called Silverback.
Mountain gorillas live in two ecosystems, the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and adjacent Sarambwe Reserve and the Virunga Massif. The Virunga Massif is a chain of Volcanic Mountains along the Uganda, Rwanda, and DRC border. The Virunga mountains are also home to golden monkeys, forest elephants, buffaloes, and several bird species.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is located in southwestern Uganda. Its relief and vegetation type differs from the Virunga mountains as it comprises several hills and a tropical rainforest. The Virunga mountains are stand-alone and covered with a light bamboo forest.