Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda — September 5, 2025 will mark a milestone for Rwanda’s most celebrated conservation event, Kwita Izina. This year’s ceremony, themed around two decades of wildlife protection and sustainable tourism, will see a new generation of infant gorillas officially named in front of an international audience.
A Ceremony Rooted in Tradition
Launched in 2005, Kwita Izina was inspired by the centuries-old Rwandan practice of naming newborn children. The annual event adapted this cultural tradition to conservation, with each baby gorilla born in Volcanoes National Park receiving a name that reflects Rwanda’s values, environment, or aspirations.
Over the last 20 years, Kwita Izina has grown into a global platform, drawing conservationists, dignitaries, celebrities, and tourists. It has become one of Rwanda’s strongest symbols of its commitment to protecting endangered species while building a tourism industry rooted in sustainability.
Conservation Success Story
Rwanda is home to one of the world’s only remaining populations of mountain gorillas, a species once on the brink of extinction. Through intensive protection efforts, strict regulation of tourism, and revenue-sharing programs that benefit surrounding communities, the country has seen its gorilla population steadily increase.
Officials note that local communities are at the center of this progress. “Kwita Izina is not just about naming gorillas,” conservation leaders often stress. “It is about recognizing the people whose daily efforts safeguard these animals and their habitats.”
The Families in Focus
This year’s ceremony will highlight several gorilla families living in the Virunga Massif, each with unique stories and dynamics. The families include long-established groups that have seen multiple generations born under the watch of protective silverbacks, as well as newer families expanding their territories in the park.
The families’ stories are expected to form a central part of the celebrations. Visitors trekking the park throughout the year often encounter these groups — watching juveniles at play, mothers nurturing their young, and silverbacks maintaining order within the troops.
Looking Ahead
As Kwita Izina celebrates its 20th edition, the event continues to symbolize more than conservation. It represents Rwanda’s model of balancing ecological protection with tourism and community development.
For the families of gorillas set to be named this year, the ceremony will add another chapter to their survival story — one that is closely tied to Rwanda’s own narrative of resilience and renewal.