KIGALI, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Ambassador to Rwanda Rao Hongwei on Friday joined other dignitaries from across the globe to give names to 23 baby gorillas at an annual Rwanda gorilla conservation event.
The ceremony was graced by Rwandan Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente and attracted thousands of Rwandans, members of the diplomatic corps, foreign dignitaries, sports personalities, philanthropists and conservation enthusiasts.
Rao named a baby gorilla "Uburumbuke," which means prosperity. He also gave the baby gorilla a Chinese nickname as "Wang Wang," also meaning prosperity, during the annual baby gorilla naming ceremony commonly known as Kwita Izina that was held for the 14th time.
The theme of this year's Kwita Izina, a uniquely Rwandan event introduced in 2005 with the aim of creating awareness of conservation efforts for the endangered mountain gorilla is under the theme; Conservation is Life.
Rwanda's tourism sector generated 438 million U.S dollars in 2017; however the country targets to double tourism receipts to 800 million U.S. dollars by 2024, according to Rwanda Development Board (RDB).
Gorillas contribute about 90 percent of tourism revenues from Rwanda national parks, according to RDB.
The population of mountain gorillas, one of the world's most endangered species, increased by 25 percent from 480 in 2010 to 604 in 2016, according to a latest census commissioned by the Greater Virunga Transboundary Collaboration (GVTC).
