Immotion, the global leader in immersive edutainment, is celebrating the launch of its Gorilla Trek VR experience, which has opened to visitors at the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund’s Ellen DeGeneres Campus in Rwanda.
This is the first location in Africa for the attraction, which will provide highly immersive conservation education experiences for guests at the campus. Its launch accompanied Kwita Izina, the annual gorilla naming ceremony. At this event, run by the Rwandan government, gorillas born in the last year are formally named.
Dr Tara Stoinski, Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund president and CEO, explains: “This ceremony is the ultimate celebration of nature and conservation, so adding Gorilla Trek to our campus shortly prior provided a great opportunity to highlight how technology can advance conservation education.”
The day-long naming event, which took place on September 1, attracted more than 30,000 attendees and this year’s “Namers” included international leaders, conservationists, and prominent celebrities.
The Rwandan government held a VIP reception after the ceremony at the Ellen Campus, where visitors were able to experience Immotion’s VR pods.
Rod Findley, Immotion president, says: “We are incredibly honored to have the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund feature Gorilla Trek, our marquee zoo attraction, at their world-renowned Ellen DeGeneres Campus.”
Conservation education is key
The Fossey Fund is dedicated to gorilla conservation, protection, and research, and it strives to conserve gorillas and their habitats in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Fossey Fund’s comprehensive conservation approach includes significant partnerships with local governments and residents, as well as an international network of collaborators.
Conservation education is a key strategic focus for the Fossey Fund. Stoinski continues: “Immotion has been an invaluable partner to us and its VR experiences are the perfect tool to spotlight conservation issues around the world. We are grateful for their involvement as it will create opportunities for schools, organizations, and guests of all ages to experience gorillas in a fully-immersive way.”
Immotion recently announced that its president, Rod Findley, has been invited to join the Board of Governors at the Advanced Imaging Society. The Hollywood-based association promotes artistic and technical achievement in film, television and other media.
