It is the biggest event on Rwanda’s tourism calendar, drawing conservationists, researchers, policy makers, government officials, the private sector, tourists and the people of Northern Province — home to the mountain gorilla.

This is the annual Kwita Izina or gorilla naming ceremony, held on June 16 this year, which takes place in the lush green Virunga Mountains in northern Rwanda.

The event, which was launched eight years ago, this year saw 19 baby gorillas including a pair of twins, receiving names from chosen individuals, bringing to a total of 141 the mountain gorillas that have so far been named since the ceremony was started.

The baby gorillas are of course not physically present at the ceremony to be named; instead each gorilla is represented by a human dressed in a gorilla suit.

During the ceremony, over a dozen human beings dressed up in gorilla suits mimic mountain gorillas.

The actual endangered species are up in the mountains, perhaps even across in Uganda or DR Congo, browsing on the lush bamboo vegetation.

But despite their absence from the baptism party, Kwita Izina remains one of the biggest annual conservation events in Rwanda’s efforts to protect the mountain gorillas from extinction.

The ceremony is one big annual party. The food, music, merry making and other pre-Kwita Izina events attract more people every year despite the chilly weather in Kinigi, in the northern province district of Musanze.

According to Rwanda Development Board director of tourism, Rica Rwigamba, Kwita Izina has greatly contributed to increasing the population of the mountain gorillas due to increased public awareness.

“This year we have also had an opportunity to have rare twins on board. It is the third time we have had twin gorillas — it is a very rare occurrence,” Ms Rwigamba said.

The country is expecting to earn more from gorilla visits this year after making $9.6 million last year. Rwanda collects $10 million from all national parks and over 90 per cent of this comes from the Virunga National Park, home to the mountain gorillas.

READ: Gorilla visits to yield higher revenue this year

From the 2010 census, there are over 480 gorillas left in the Virunga Mountains, which are shared by Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

During this year’s ceremony, the twins were named by gorilla trackers Antoine Bigirimana and Nyirabasare Uwamahoro, who christened them “Umudende,” meaning trophy and “Impeta” the ring (which is a sign of love) in Kinyarwanda.

Speaking to Rwanda Today after the ceremony, a delighted Ms Uwamahoro said that naming a baby gorilla in itself is a big honour but it becomes even more prestigious when the gorilla in question is a twin.

“It is a rare occasion. Twin gorillas happen once in a lifetime. As a gorilla tracker and conservationist at heart, I am pretty excited,” said the tracker, who says her life is dedicated to conserving the rare animal.

According to Ms Rwigamba, the people who are given the honour to name the gorillas are chosen according to their contribution to conservation efforts.

Seven year old Kundhana Karanana became the youngest ever to name a gorilla, after winning a painting competition, naming her baby gorilla “Impamo,” which means the truth.

Every name given to a baby gorilla comes with a meaning. For example, the guest of honour at this year’s event, Prime Minister Pierre Damien Habumuremyi, named the first baby gorilla “Gikundiro,” meaning the loved one.

The baby had been chosen online and on different public platforms as being the cutest of the gorillas.

The only female adult gorilla named at the ceremony and the first adult too, was a mother gorilla who had been officially recorded as having hit menopause, only to bounce back and give birth to a baby boy.