New-born baby gorillas in Rwanda have been named – by Hollywood star Idris Elba, his wife, and other stars – in an annual event to promote conservation and tourism.
The naming ceremony, known as Kwita Izina, has been taking place in Kinigi, a small town beneath gigantic volcanoes in the Musanze district of Rwanda.
The town is home to rare mountain gorillas and the event attracts personalities from the worlds of activism, sport, politics, film, philanthropy, fashion, and more.
In 2022, the ceremony was attended virtually by British royalty. The then Prince of Wales, now King Charles III. He had named a baby Gorilla Ubwuzuzanye, which means “harmony” in Kinyarwanda.
In this year’s ceremony, 23 baby gorillas were named by key figures, present at the event:
Actor Idris Elba and his wife Sabrina named a gorilla Narame, meaning “long life,” former Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Bernard Lama named a gorilla, Ramba, meaning “sustainable,” local environmental activist Grace Ineza named a gorilla, Bigwi, meaning “achiever,” British MP Andrew Mitchell gave Mukundwa to another gorilla, meaning “favoured”.
US comedian Kevin Hart also attended virtually, and named one of the babies Gakondo, meaning “traditional.”
Over the last few decades, Rwanda has raised its tourism revenue, although critics still question the transparency of how funds are managed. However, Government authorities maintain it is well-utilized as it’s been used to develop infrastructure near tourism sites.
