In a yearly festival last Saturday, that highlights the African nation’s endeavors to conserve the endangered creatures, Rwanda named two-dozen baby mountain gorillas, which draw in big number of foreign tourists to the Volcanoes National Park where they live.

The young gorillas, recognized by trackers and researchers, were in their natural habitat nearby and not at the naming festival Saturday in Kinigi, close to the entrance to Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. However, Rwandan President Paul Kagame was among a large number of people who gathered there to celebrate the threatened population of mountain gorillas, whose image embellishes various sculptures in Rwanda and in addition a national currency banknote.

The government hopes the naming festival, which started in 2005 and depends on a similar custom among Rwandans, will highlight the significance of protecting the endangered mountain gorillas and in addition to the promotion of the tourism sector in the country, the nation’s top foreign exchange earner. Researchers also refer to the names to recognize gorillas and their families while conducting studies in jungle.

The names presented on the gorillas on Saturday incorporated the words for “Power,” “Bravery” and Conviviality” in the Rwandan language.

Mountain gorillas in Rwanda are found in Virunga Missif, which spans Volcanoes National Park and also Mgahinga National Park in Uganda and Virunga National Park in Democratic Republic of Congo. Another population of mountain gorillas lives a separate area of Uganda.

Mountain gorilla population dropped drastically in the most recent century as a resulting of poaching, disease and human encroachment on the natural habitats. Currently the mountain gorilla population is roughly 900; conservationists say the population has been increasing in recent years.