Tales and Treasures from Kwita Izina

Last weekend, Rwanda hosted the 8th Annual mountain gorilla naming ceremony called Kwita Izina. Here is a taste of the two-day event, in which all get to celebrate the conservation of the critically-endangered mountain gorillas. Photos by Jackson Rwasa for IGCP. Drummers and dancers entertain and tell stories at Igitaramo, the community celebration the night before Kwita Izina. 

Student animal theatre is sponsored by Art of Conservation. Beautiful animal masks are used by beautiful children. The 20 'mountain gorillas' were named on June 16, 2012. The performers were very convincing as they moved around the space as a family group, with RDB and Karisoke trackers monitoring them. All very realistic! IGCP's Interim Director, Augustin Basabose, gave the name of Kungahara to the baby born to Mugeni in the Kwitonda group. 'Kungahara' means 'to be prosperous'.