Czech Speaker Names Baby Gorilla ‘Tomáš’ During Tour With Tayebwa
The Speaker of the Czech Parliament, Tomio Okamura, named a newborn mountain gorilla 'Tomáš' during a diplomatic visit to Uganda. The event was used to highlight the importance of wildlife conservation and strengthen tourism ties between the two nations.
Why it matters
This symbolic gesture serves as a soft-power diplomatic tool to promote international tourism and environmental awareness in Uganda.
The Speaker of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Rt. Hon. Tomio Okamura, has named a newborn mountain gorilla “ Tomáš” during his visit to Uganda, describing the name as a symbol of friendship between Uganda and the Czech Republic.
Okamura proposed the Czech name while trekking mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in south-western Uganda, where he was accompanied by Uganda’s Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Thomas Tayebwa.
When Tayebwa asked the Czech parliamentary speaker to suggest a name for the newborn gorilla, Okamura replied: “Something like Tomáš.”
Tomáš is the Czech form of Thomas, while Okamura explained that his own first name, Tomio, is Japanese.
Tayebwa thanked Okamura for visiting Uganda, saying the trip provides an opportunity to showcase Uganda’s tourism potential to the Czech Republic and Europe more broadly.
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