Rwanda 'baptises' 18 endangered baby gorillas

Yahoo News 20 Jun 09;

KINIGI, Rwanda (AFP) – Rwanda "baptised" 18 rare baby mountain gorillas at what has become an annual event to highlight the plight of the endangered species.

The baby gorillas, however, were not physically present at the colourful ceremony at the edge of a national park where the primates live.

Eighteen masked people represented the gorillas at the event, which included songs and dances, attended by senior government officials including Prime Minister Bernard Makuza.

Tourism Minister Monique Nsanzabaganwa said government was expanding the the size of the volcanic park by 10 percent by the end of the year in a bid to promote the conservation of the gorillas.

"This campaign is to encourage gorilla conservation initiatives and to promote the local tourism industry," she said.

"Tourism remains one of Rwanda's key sectors," she added.

The ceremony was the fifth of its kind in Rwanda in as many years. A total of 103 gorillas have been baptised and officially received a name so far, according to AFP count.

The world's last mountain gorillas are concentrated in the mountains straddling the border between the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda.

They number around 700 in all, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).