Rwanda's annual gorilla naming ceremony, known locally as Kwita Izina, took place Friday, with 40 baby gorillas named by global leaders, artists, football legends, conservationists, and Rwandan rangers. Now in its 20th edition, the event was held at the foothills of Volcanoes National Park in Kinigi, Musanze District, northern Rwanda. Prime Minister Justin Nsengiyumva, who presided over the ceremony, reaffirmed the government's commitment to expanding the park by 25 percent to secure a future for the species. Eighteen of the baby gorillas named were born in 2024. Nsengiyumva noted the story of the mountain gorillas has not always been one of celebration, as years ago, their population had alarmingly decreased, and their survival seemed uncertain. Through initiatives like the tourism revenue-sharing program, which allocates 10 percent of revenues back to local communities, residents have benefited from improved schools, roads, and access to clean water. The dedication of rangers, trackers, and researchers, alongside global and local champions, has helped increase the mountain gorilla population in the Virunga Massif from 880 in 2012 to more than 1,060 today, according to the Rwanda Development Board (RDB). First introduced in 2005, Kwita Izina celebrates Rwanda's conservation achievements, engages communities, and raises global awareness. The country has named 438 gorillas since 2025. Officials report that the mountain gorilla population in the Virunga Massif, which spans Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Uganda, has increased from 880 in 2008 to 1,063 at present. Last year, Rwanda's tourism sector made 647 million U.S. dollars in revenue, with gorilla-related tourism accounting for over 200 million U.S. dollars. Shotlist: Kinigi, Rwanda - Sept 5, 2025: File: Kinigi, Rwanda - Sept 1, 2023 1. Various of namer of mountain gorillas walking in park, woods in park; 2. Various of namers speaking; Kinigi, Rwanda - Sept 5, 2025 3. SOUNDBITE (English) Justin Nsengiyumva, Prime Minister, Rwanda: "The story of the mountain gorillas has not always been one of celebration. Years ago, their population had alarmingly decreased, and their survival seemed uncertain. However, thanks to the leadership of Rwanda, the dedication of passionate conservationists, the daily sacrifices of rangers, and the commitment of our communities, the gorillas came back from the brink."; 4. Various of stage designer Matt Deeley, performing artist director Simon Iyarwema, reporter, staff members at park; 5. SOUNDBITE (English) Matt Deeley, stage designer (starting with shot 4): "The bottom line is always going back to the community and the importance of giving a little bit of work and giving people things to do, exciting things to do. So it's like we're turning bamboo farmers into artists, into sculptors for a month. And I mean, they come every year. They know exactly what they're doing because they've done it before. And so we do tend to kind of have the same groups of people."; 6. Stage designer Matt Deeley, performing artist director Simon Iyarwema, staff members at park; 7. SOUNDBITE (English) Simon Iyarwema, performing artist director: "We started with community members who [were] farmers, who have bamboo plantations, but today most of them are artists. Like I said, we're relaxed, but if you could look around people up there constructing on their own because this is something they've learned from us. So they're turning from farmers they were to artists today."; File: Kinigi, Rwanda - Sept 1, 2023 8. Various of gorillas; Kinigi, Rwanda - Sept 5, 2025 9. SOUNDBITE (English) Justin Nsengiyumva, prime minister, Rwanda: "This effort will also improve the lives of surrounding communities, demonstrating once again that conservation and development can go hand in hand. We call on the world to join us in these ambitious projects as we share this responsibility."; File: Kinigi, Rwanda - Sept 1, 2023 10. Various of gorillas, namers; 11. Various of attendees walking to venue of naming ceremony; 12. Aerial shot of gorilla naming ceremony site. [Restriction - No access Chinese mainland]