Gorilla naming ceremony set for June 16

June 16th is the date for this year’s annual gorilla naming (Kwita Izina) ceremony that enters its eighth year. The event will mark the birth of 19 baby gorillas and naming of one female adult, the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) has announced in a press statement. The event, which will be held under the theme “Sustainable tourism for a green economy”, and is expected to attract thousands of people living around the Volcanoes National Park, the sanctuary of the rare mountain gorillas, senior government officials, key foreign dignitaries, and renowned conservationists.The Head of the Department Tourism and Conservation at RDB, Rica Rwigamba, disclosed that this year’s celebrations comes at a critical time when the degradation of the ecosystem has reached alarming proportions adding that it re-enforces the commitment the government has towards economic growth.“We pursue a strategy of responsible tourism, and this has earned us recognition around the World. Kwita Izina is just one of the many steps that has been undertaken to recognise and protect the natural habitat of endangered species like the mountain gorillas, the rich bio-diversity in the national parks and the forests in the country.” This year’s event expects the world to learn more about mountain gorillas as well as choose their “cutest” baby gorilla through an online-based interaction.