Gorilla Naming Ceremony

The gorilla naming ceremony is a function organized each year in Rwanda to give names to baby gorillas born in the current year in the Rwanda Volcanoes National Park. This is to note that endangered mountain gorillas are only found in Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. This ceremony is modelled from the Rwandan culture whereby a family having a new born organizes a function to give a name to the baby in the presence of family members, neighbors and invited guests. Every participant including guests, family members are given a chance to choose a suitable name for the new born.

The same culture has inspired the gorilla naming ceremony in Rwanda. The gorilla naming ceremony was started in 2005 and until now 18 editions have been organized through which 345 baby gorillas have been named. The gorilla naming ceremony that has become a global celebration, features famous celebrities, conservationists, scholars and policy makers. This is a recognition of the important work to protect these endangered species said to be sharing 98% of their DNA with human beings and also value their existence.

The gorilla naming ceremony is also an opportunity to recognize the communities around the Volcanoes National Park, rangers, conservationists and trackers in their efforts to support in the protection and conservation of the park and gorillas themselves. The function is also an occasion of showcasing the achievements in the improvement of the communities around the National Park in what is called revenue sharing program whereby 10% of the total revenues from the park is given back to communities through investing in projects to improve livelihood of the communities around different National Parks in the Country.

The project includes construction of schools, health centres, water and sanitation facilities. Initiated in 2005 the tourism revenue share program has since invested 7,9 billion in 880 community based projects.

This year, the gorilla naming ceremony is planned to happen on September 2^nd 2022. It will be an occasion to again gather participants in person after 2 other editions held virtually due to the Covd 19 pandemic in the last two years. The 2022 gorilla naming ceremony will feature the naming of 20 baby new gorillas born in the Park in the last 12 months. The ceremony will include notable partners, conservationists, international celebrities and friends of Rwanda as communicated by the Rwanda Development Board that organizes the ceremony.

Other tourists can also participate in the gorilla naming ceremony by registering for the event, something that is planned ahead of the time. You can plan your participation in this annual event by incorporating other activities to visit other attractions including Akagera National Park or Nyungwe National Park as well as other attractions that Rwanda has to offer.

A professional tour operator will help you to design an itinerary that best fits with your program and advise you on the timing for the visit and registration. We at Unique Rwanda Vacations Experts will be available to facilitate your preparation for your tour and make sure to make it memorable. You can visit our website: www.uniquerwandavacations.com to see sample packages we are offering.