Auba, Hector and Bernd name baby gorillas

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Hector Bellerin and Bernd Leno have named endangered baby mountain gorillas as part of Rwanda’s historic gorilla naming ceremony known as Kwita Izina.

Now in its 16th year, the occasion draws global attention to the importance of gorilla conservation. In previous years, some of the friends of conservation who have named baby mountain gorillas include Arsenal legends Tony Adams, Alex Scott and Lauren, naturalist Sir David Attenborough, model Naomi Campbell and actor Natalie Portman.

 

Aubameyang, Bellerin and Leno’s contribution to this year’s naming ceremony is part of Visit Rwanda’s partnership with Arsenal as the club’s official tourism partner and sleeve sponsor.

 

This year, 24 baby gorillas that call Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park home, will be named in a celebration of nature and the conservation front liners who protect and care for them every day.

 

The ceremony features stories from the field on how rangers, vets and researchers work every day to protect gorillas and how Rwanda's Tourism Revenue Share Programme, in which 10 per cent of tourism park revenues are invested back into communities, contributes to the development of communities living adjacent to Rwanda’s national parks.

 

Baby gorilla profiles

 

• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang named a baby gorilla Igitego, which means ‘Goal’. Igitego is the son of Pasika from the Mafunzo family and was born on July 5, 2019
• Hector Bellerin named a baby gorilla Iriza, which means ‘First Born’. Iriza is the daughter of Igihembo from the Kwitonda family and was born on October 11, 2019.
• Bernd Leno named a baby gorilla Myugariro, which means ‘Defender’. Myugariro is the baby of Kubaha from the Amahoro family and was born on September 28, 2019.