Rare Baby Gorillas Named in Rwanda

Government officials and special guests recently attended a special naming ceremony in Kinigi, Rwanda.

Eighteen masked people represented eighteen baby gorillas at the event, designed to help conserve the highly endangered species of primates.

About 700 gorillas are left in the world and just over half live around the lush Virunga volcanoes that straddle Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The gorillas are a big-money tourist attraction in Uganda and Rwanda, but remain at risk from warring militias in DRC.

[Boniface Kamali, Kinigi Resident]:
„We are happy with the ceremony and it is very significant for us because we are the first beneficiaries of the money from these gorillas, there are many projects done for local people in terms of protecting the animals.“

The number of gorillas in the volatile region has begun to slowly increase again in recent years thanks to Rwandan conservation efforts.

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) representative in Rwanda, Orlien Ama chose the name “Komeza” for one of the babies.

[Orlien Ama, Representative, U.N. Development Program]:
“I have chosen the name Komeza, this means go ahead. We always go ahead in my section and I have another reason why I have chosen this name because Rwanda is giving an example of moving forward.“

Celebrities invited to the ceremony paid the standard $500 fee for foreign tourists.

[Monique Nsanzabaganwa, Rwanda Commercial and Tourism Minister]:
„Here we are celebrating conservation, we celebrate efforts and participation of the communities, and also we are celebrating wonders of the world because these mountain gorillas are not for Rwandans alone but for the whole world.“

Conservation workers and researchers traditionally name primates they track after identifying them based on the patterns formed by wrinkles on their faces.

(NTDTV)