Today marks the 19th Kwita Izina, the Gorilla Naming Ceremony. A nod to Rwanda's culture, it's more than just a name, it signifies respect & value. With Kwita Izina, we celebrate nature, honour communities near Volcanoes National Park, & applaud conservation heroes.

The annual Gorilla Naming Ceremony showcases Rwanda's conservation efforts & the sustainable approach to gorilla tourism that has enabled the gorilla population & communities to thrive. 10% of wildlife tourism income is invested in local communities.

Distinguished individuals and celebrities named baby Mountain Gorillas at the 19th Kwita Izina Gorilla Naming Ceremony that was held in the Northern Province district and where joined by the communities living around the home of the endangered mountain gorillas in what is expected to be the ultimate celebration of nature and conservation.

Among the namers were Prof. Dr Özlem Türeci & Dr Sierk Poetting from BioNTech Group at this year’s Kwita Izina. BioNTech is currently establishing a sustainable and state-of-the-art mRNA Vaccine Manufacturing Facility in Rwanda. The duo named a baby gorilla,Intiganda. The name we give captures the essence of someone who has the courage to face challenges and pursue ambitious goals while maintaining a sense of humility and selflessness.”

During the ceremony 23 baby mountain gorillas born in the last 12 months were named, bringing the total of baby gorillas to be named since the inception of the naming ceremony in 2005 to 374.

The atmosphere at Kwita Izina was cheerful. The crowd buzzed with joy as they enjoy captivating performances by our very own talented artists. It's a celebration of wildlife, conservation, culture, and community coming together for a noble cause.

The ceremony was an unforgettable event and we thank our partners, honored guests (Dr Özlem Türeci & Dr Sierk Poetting, Winston Duke, Joakim Noah & Lais Ribeiro, Cyrille Bolloré, Innocent Dusabeyezu , Andrew Mitchell, Bukola Elemide 'Asa ', Zurab Pololikashvili, Jonathan Ledgard, Audrey Azoulay, Anders Holch Povlsen, Grace Ineza Umuhoza, HE Hazza AlQahtani, Bernard Lama, Larry Green, Sol Campbell ,Danai Gurira, Nick Stone, Idris Elba and Sabrina Dhowre Elba...) and den Communities near the Volcanoes Park who joined in celebrating the awesome mountain gorillas!