On September 5, 24 baby gorillas were named – up from 18 last year and 17 in 2013 – during the 11th Kwita Izina ceremony, which was held at the entrance to the Volcanoes National Park in Musanze district.

Kwita Izina is an annual baby gorilla naming and conservation fete that pays homage to the centuries-old Rwandan tradition of celebrating the birth of a child.

Kwita Izina has helped highlight the importance of protecting the critically endangered species and, to a greater extent, it’s because of this event that the mountain gorilla population in the Volcanoes National Park has increased by about 4 per cent, making gorilla trekking one of the country’s most viable tourism products.