Tracking the Silverback in Rwanda: Baby gorillas are named each year at the annual naming ceremony Kwita Izina. (All pics by Anurag Mallick & Priya Ganapathy/Red Scarab).jpg)
One of the five biggest Silverbacks in the Virunga massif, Mr Muturengere weighs over 200 kg and stands at 1.9m. Seeing him face to face a few metres away is spine-tingling. (All pics by Red Scarab)Watching over ten juveniles and eight females, the mighty alpha male Muturengere is a Silverback named after the silvery band on the back of mature adult males. (All pics: Red Scarab)Kwita Izina is the reenactment of a centuries-old Rwandan tradition of naming newborns. Kwita Izina 2018 celebrated the naming of 23 gorillas born in the past year. (All pics by Red Scarab)The massive gathering at the base of Volcanoes National Park wore a festive air with locals waving flags, dancing and chanting. And, the numbers are growing each year! (All pics by Red Scarab)Kwita Izina is the most important conservation event in Rwanda — a celebration of the majestic mountain gorillas, and Rwandans working with the government for the past 15 years. (All pics: Red Scarab)Today, mountain gorilla numbers have crossed the magic threshold of a thousand known individuals. And a tiny country like Rwanda was leading the way for sustainable development. (All pics: Red Scarab)The gorilla groups are tirelessly followed up the steep slopes all year round and the monitoring and research of the creatures and their habitat secures the foundation for future generations.The slopes of the 160 sq km Virunga Massif in Africa are the last refuge of the mountain gorilla, one of the two subspecies of the eastern gorilla. (All pics: Red Scarab)An encounter with the magnificent mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park while attending Kwita Izina or naming ceremony of baby gorillas is indeed a rare opportunity. (All pics: Red Scarab)The fact that this is the only region in the world where one can spot them in the wild (they do not survive in captivity) makes it a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ experience. (All pics: Red Scarab)Karisoke remains the longest running gorilla field study site dedicated to the conservation, protection and study of gorillas and their habitats in Africa. (All pics: Red Scarab)Tracking the Silverback in Rwanda: A Colobus monkey in Nyungwe National Park. (All pics by Anurag Mallick & Priya Ganapathy/Red Scarab)