Rwanda Gorilla

It's a little known fact that each and every baby gorilla born in Rwanda is today subject to a naming ceremony called Kwita Izina. This revival of the ancient tradition is a reflection of the growing importance of the status of mountain gorillas in the country. Whilst mankind does not pose a direct threat to the gorilla through hunting or poaching (although poaching is once again becoming an issue despite the gorilla being seen to manually destroy poaching equipment), many are injured or killed by traps set for other animals or threatened by loss of habitat as poor farmers convert forests to farm production. Many were also accidentally killed during the conflicts in Rwanda, however recent research indicates that the gorilla population of Rwanda has increased by some 17% in the last few years.