This year, to celebrate World Gorilla Day, Rwanda successfully hosted a traditional baby naming ceremony for 24 of the country’s new mountain gorillas.

Staff at the gorilla’s protected habitat in Volcanoes National Park were joined by professional footballers, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Hector Bellerin and Bernd Leno at the ceremony on September 24.

Bellerin named a female gorilla born on October 11 2019 and said: “It’s a privilege for me to name little baby Iriza, which means ‘first born’. When you are the first born in your family, you feel a sense of responsibility and it's indeed our responsibility to look after our wildlife.”

“This year, we bring a special focus to the rangers, trackers, guides, vets and porters, who protect our precious mountain gorillas. Their dedication is reflected in the 24 baby gorillas, receiving their names today. Conservation, tourism and community development go hand in hand,” said Rwandan President, Paul Kagame.

Source: https://www.tourismupdate.co.za/article/monday-smile-rwanda-names-24-baby-mountain-gorillas