Africa Focus: Rwanda intensifies efforts to conserve mountain gorillas

Rwanda has put in much effort to conserve the endangered mountain gorillas located in the chilly Virunga Mountains, in Musanze district, Northern Rwanda.

The country on Saturday gave names to 24 baby gorillas, in an annual ceremony locally known as "Kwita Izina" in Kinigi, at the foothills of the Volcanoes Mountains in Northern Rwanda.

Thousands of Rwandans, including international conservation enthusiasts took part in the naming ceremony that also attracted Rwanda President Paul Kagame.

The colourful event saw baby gorillas named under the theme "Conserving now and for the future", the highest number ever named in a single year since it was launched in 2005.

Kwita Izina is inspired by the ancient Rwandan tradition of naming babies soon after they are born. The ceremony has transformed from a local event to an international gorilla conservation brand that promotes tourism.

Speaking at the gorilla naming ceremony, Ambassador Yamina Karitanyi, chief tourism officer at Rwanda Development Board, said that Kwita Izina had achieved global recognition due to the mechanics of including the local community in the conservation program.

"The annual event is a Rwandan brand of conservation that in addition to celebrating the growth of the mountain gorilla population, acknowledges the impact and participation of the in sustainable wildlife and natural habitat conservation," she noted.

Karitanyi stated that in order to encourage and strengthen active sustainable wildlife and habitat conservation, RDB also launched the Kwita Izina Awards, a program that will serve as a platform for recognizing and rewarding individuals and organizations for their conservation efforts in Rwanda.

She explained that the successes achieved so far were largely as a result of the inclusive approach that RDB had taken in working with rangers, guides, conservation groups and local communities to take proactive steps to restore and enhance the habitat of not only the gorillas but of other wild life in the Volcanoes National Park and in other parts of the country.

"Kwita Izina inspired us to expand our national geography to bring it under conservation, including creating the nearby new Gishwati-Mukura national park and reintroducing Lions in the Akagera National Park. We now have four national parks, demonstrating our clear focus on diversifying and deepening the tourism offering in Rwanda," she added.

Rwanda's mountain gorilla population has risen tremendously over the last one year following the continuous conservation focus by the Rwanda Development Board in partnership with the Volcanoes National Park and the local community.

Rwanda president Kagame emphasized sustainable conservation efforts to promote Rwanda tourism industry and boost the livelihood of communities surrounding the gorilla habitat in the volcanoes national park.

"Rwanda wants to rely on its own resources. We want to be the ones leading our development and lift ourselves out of poverty. It's through strengthening conservation efforts that Rwandans will do away with poverty," he said.

Gorilla tracking is one of the major cash cows of the country's tourism sector, with permits costing 750 U.S. dollars for foreign tourists.

The current mountain gorilla population in the Virunga Mountains stands at an estimated 480.

The ceremony's main goal is to help monitor each individual gorilla and their groups in their natural habitat. It was created as a means of bringing attention both locally and internationally about the importance of protecting the mountain gorillas and their habitats.

In Rwanda, there are 302 gorillas from 20 families from both tourism and research groups. In the ten years since the event was established, 192 gorillas have been named in a celebration of nature and the communities who protect the majestic mountain gorilla. Between 2003 and 2010, the population rose by 26.3 percent.

The occasion has been marked on international conservation calendar as a big day for Rwanda and conservation enthusiasts.

Last year, Rwanda's tourism industry registered revenue receipts worth 304.9 million U.S. dollars. The small east-central African nation hosted a total number of about 1.22 million visitors in 2014. Endit