Friday, September 2, 2022, was not an ordinary day for those interested in preserving the environment, nature, and specifically wildlife, as thousands of people from Rwanda and abroad gathered in the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, home to mountain gorillas, to attend the 18th Quetta Ezina celebration, a festive Dedicated to naming newborn gorillas, a way to emphasize the importance of wildlife conservation, including protecting mountain gorillas that were on the verge of extinction.
Volcanoes National Park is located in the far northwest of Rwanda, a two-hour drive from the capital, Kigali.
Adjacent to steep slopes and a magnificent mountain range, the park is home to the endangered mountain gorilla and features diverse mountain ecosystems, evergreen forests, open grasslands and swamps.
In 2005, the Rwandan government adopted the Quetta Isina celebration as a way to value mountain gorillas, and since then this annual event has gained global momentum. The official names of baby gorillas are given by people of great achievement in Rwanda and abroad as well as conservationists.
The “Quetta Isina” celebration, during which baby gorillas are given names, is inspired by an ancient tradition of Rwandese naming their children in the presence of family and friends.
The release of names for young gorillas is part of initiatives that promote efforts to preserve nature and protect wildlife, an area that the Republic of Rwanda and the United Arab Emirates focus on within the framework of sustainable development plans.
The ‘Quetta Isina’ gorilla naming event provides an opportunity to reflect on other conservation initiatives in Rwanda and the UAE as parties to international conventions and bodies related to environmental conservation.
Both the Republic of Rwanda and the UAE are party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Plants and Fauna (CITES), an international agreement between governments that links wildlife and international trade with binding provisions aimed at preserving species and their sustainable use as natural resources. It was signed in Washington on March 3, 1973 and entered into force in July 1975.
The UAE and Rwanda are on the IUCN Green List for their leading role in preserving the environment.
Commenting on the 2022 Quetta Isina celebration, Emmanuel Hatigeka, Ambassador of the Republic of Rwanda to the United Arab Emirates, stressed, “With countries committed to achieving the 15th Sustainable Development Goal on life on land, the gorilla naming ceremony provides an impetus for Rwanda to expand in Environmental protection programmes. Rwanda’s relentless focus on gorilla conservation has paid off in terms of the growth of tourist flows as well as the development of the community around the park. Former hunters have turned into gorilla protectors, reaping the benefits directly through various community development projects.” He added, “We also commend the similar environmental conservation efforts made by the UAE in protecting the precious falcon and endangered species, especially the Arabian leopard, the Arabian Oryx and others.”
The 2022 Quetta Ezina celebration is special, as it comes with the return of global tourism. Within this framework, His Excellency Claire Akamanzi, CEO of the Rwanda Development Board, praised the celebration, saying: “We are also pleased to celebrate the safe return of tourism to Rwanda after the well-managed COVID-19 pandemic. We look forward to continuing to protect our natural heritage and provide world-class experiences that highlight the diverse natural beauty of Rwanda.”
The ceremony included naming 20 young mountain gorillas born in Volcanoes National Park over the past 12 months. So far, 354 baby gorillas have been named since the naming ceremony began in 2005.
Among the 20 distinguished names in this year’s celebration: former Arsenal midfielder, Gilberto Silva, former Paris Saint-Germain player, Juan Pablo Sorin, and Chelsea legend, Didier Drogba.
The Rwanda Development Board notes that efforts to protect the gorillas in Rwanda have contributed to an increase in the number of mountain gorillas worldwide to more than 1,000 and are classified as no longer critically endangered.
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