How Was Rwanda founded?
Following several waves of migrations to the Central African region that is now known as Rwanda, small kingdoms began to emerge in 1100. By the late 1800s, the Kingdom of Rwanda had reached the height of its territorial expansion.
Germany colonised Rwanda in 1884 as part of German East Africa. After the German Empire’s defeat in World War I, Rwanda was acquired by Belgium. On August 23 1923, the League of Nation officially put Rwanda under Belgian supervision.
Rwanda gained independence from Belgium in 1962, and Gregoire Kayibanda served as the new country’s first President.
Read MoreHow Gorilla Tourism is Saving Rwandans from Poverty
The Volcanoes national park located in northwestern Rwanda is a unique wildlife safari destination with over 300 mountain gorillas and the best place where tourists can mountain in their forested habitats. They are covered with black fur and are the biggest apes species with a fully-grown silverback (male mountain gorilla) weighing over 200 pounds.
Mountain gorillas are vegetarians that predominantly feed on plant leaves, shoots, and wild fruits. They have over 98% DNA similar to humans and therefore they have human-like behavior especially the way the female mountain gorillas look after their young ones. Much as the mountain gorillas have a DNA similar to humans, they are very sensitive animals and can be aggressive if provoked. When angry, they usually standstill as they beat their chest while groaning. This clearly shows the danger and it’s always wise to move a reasonable distance away from them.
Mountain gorillas are endangered primates that were in the 1990s on the verge of extinction but were saved after several conservation programs like securing their natural habitats from human encroachment where the Batwa who were initially forest dwellers were resettled from the forest, by introducing carrying capacity where only 8 tourists are allowed to track one mountain gorilla family which they only spend with an hour, by introducing the Kwita Izina gorilla naming ceremony as a way of closely monitoring the newly born mountain gorillas and by massively sensitizing the local people on the importance of the mountain gorillas and encouraging them to abandon anti-conservation habits like poaching.
Because of all the above and other conservation efforts, mountain gorilla tourism has greatly grown over the years in Rwanda and has also proved to be another way of protecting these endangered species in the following ways;
The revenue generated from gorilla tours in Rwanda is used to fund conservation programs against poaching wildlife. The locals have also changed their attitudes towards protecting wildlife and this has greatly led to the increase in the mountain gorilla population.
The money collected from mountain gorilla safaris is used to pay the guides and rangers some of whom were poachers who just abandoned that anti-conservation act to start a new life as conservation agents. These rangers and guides having a secured source of money discourage them from again going back to poaching which is riskier.
Part of the money collected from the mountain gorilla permits is used for local community development. The popular Rwanda gorilla safaris are very good for both the mountain gorillas and the people and therefore tourists who go to Rwanda to encounter mountain gorillas in their natural habitats get rewarded with once-in-a-lifetime encounters, contribute to mountain gorilla conservation and also contribute to local community development.
Treks to the forested mountains to track Mountain gorillas start very early in the morning after the tourists have been briefed and allocated to the gorilla families they will be tracking. The takes about 2 to 8 hours depending on the tourists’ luck and the movement of the mountain gorillas since they are mobile animals that usually move from one place to another looking for fresh leaves to feed on. After encountering the mountain gorillas, a time duration of one hour is allocated to the tourists taking photographs and learning more about the mountain gorillas.
Tourists interested in being part of mountain gorilla safaris should ensure to acquire their mountain gorilla tracking permits early enough. Each gorilla permit is sold at $750 and can be directly purchased from the Rwanda development board or acquired through a trusted tour operator. Mountain gorilla safari experiences are best enjoyed during the dry season though tracking is done throughout the year even during the wet season.
Read MoreWhat is the Kwita Izina Gorilla Naming Ceremony?
Gorillas, the largest living primate, are found across a large part of the African rainforest, and the volcanic range which spans across Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo is home to the mountain gorillas.
Currently an endangered species, the mountain gorillas are said to be approximately 1,000 strong in the wild, and of that number, 604 are in the Virunga Massif. The troops tend to stick to a preferred area within the forests and are constantly monitored with limited access for visitors of guided tours.
In total, there are twelve gorilla families living in the Volcanoes National Park, which are known as Susa, Igisha, Karisimbi, Sabyinyo, Amahoro, Agashya, Kwitonda, Umubano, Hirwa, Bwenge, Ugyenda and Muhoza.
Every year during the month of September, there is a gorilla-naming ceremony held within the Volcanoes National Park known as Kwita Izina. This was inspired by the Rwandan tradition of holding a naming ceremony for babies after their birth.
Aside from a conference, workshops, music, dancing and opportunities to speak to staff and conservationists, the highlight of Kwita Izina is when baby gorillas that have been born within the past year are assigned a carefully picked name which reflects their unique personality and disposition. Rwandans believe that this encourages good fortune and help the infants to grow up to their greatest potential.
Kwita Izina is a core part of Rwandan culture because, not only does it promote conservation and help to raise the much-needed funds from the ceremony to continue these efforts, but it also encourages Rwandans to preserve their culture and heritage.
In 2016, naturalist Sir David Attenborough named a baby Inshungu, meaning ‘blessing’ and in 2018, former Arsenal footballer Laureano Bisan Etame-Mayer named a baby Ikipe, meaning ‘team’.
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