Gorilla conservation is one of the major environmental efforts that is yielding fruit in the Great Lakes region of Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo. At one point the number of mountain gorillas was dwindling so fast that extinction seemed eminent, however, due to the conservation efforts of the three Countries in partnership with other Non Governmental Organizations this trend has been reversed especially in Uganda and Rwanda. Due to this success, in 2005, the office of Rwanda Tourism and National Parks initiated ËœKwita Izina"- an emotional cultural ceremony of baby gorilla naming in Rwanda.

During these occasions, which is carried out at the foot of the wild misty Virunga Mountains, home of the mountain gorillas, crowds of people in their thousands from both Rwanda and the international community gather to witness the

Christening of baby gorillas by invited dignitaries from across the world. The presence of dignitaries and celebrities makes the occasion so colorful as the Rwandese perform their graceful cultural dances.

(ORTPN); the Office of Rwanda Tourism and National Parks, the body charged with coordinating this great ceremony known as Kwita Izina in a statement said the occasion is a conscious effort that celebrates and appreciates the success achieved in the conservation of mountain gorillas and that of community development in a effort to save the less than 800 species of mountain gorillas left in the wild.

Kwita Izina was inaugurated by His Excellence Paul Kagame the President of Rwanda together with the First Lady in 2005 where they named twin baby gorillas that where the first to be born in the wild since the conservation efforts started. This event as since attracted several dignitaries both local and international, with the likes of Hollyword actress Natalie Portman, ambassadors and has been the subject of wildlife channels such as Discovery and Animal Planet.

Tourism brings a lot of wealth to the East African countries of Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania this is especially so for Rwanda when it comes to mountain gorillas. It is for this reason that conservation has been a major issue in these countries although the need for so called development is beginning to take its toll on Uganda's environment with the allocation of wetlands to developers and the burning of trees for charcoal to meet the needs of the ever increasing population.

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