I took the photo in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda during the Gorillas tracking, at an altitude approximately 2000 meters above sea level. This mountainous area is the only place in the world where the endangered Mountain Gorillas live in the wild. The highlight of this unique experience was seeing a newborn baby Mountain Gorilla, in its mother’s protective embrace – the moment I captured in the photo.
I named the photo “Kwita Izina” according to the traditional annual ceremony of the same name where the newly born Gorillas are given the names. The ceremony is an important way how to inform the public about successful efforts to protect the wildlife in the area.
The photo was chosen as one of the finalists in the MiratecArts Mountain Photo Contest (2015).