RACHEL HUNTER - HUNTER SPEAKS OUT FOR SLAIN GORILLAS

HUNTER SPEAKS OUT FOR SLAIN GORILLAS

Campaigning model RACHEL HUNTER has launched a desperate plea to stop the massacre of gorillas in Africa. The catwalk beauty, formerly married to rocker Rod Stewart, was sickened by pictures in this week's (begs06Aug07) British newspapers depicting brutal killings of the beasts in Virunga National Park in Congo. And the Born Free Foundation patron has taken out a double page ad in The Sun to highlight the plight of the endangered animals further. She writes, "I'm not ashamed to say I wept when I saw pictures of the shot gorillas. It is horrific. "Charities that work in the area have got together to fund round-the-clock patrols by park rangers for the next three months, but they need more funding to carry on. This is absolutely vital. There are just 700 of these mountain gorillas left. Having met and got to know the rangers, I know they must be devastated." Hunter isn't the only celebrity to campaign for the animals - actress Natalie Portman has teamed up with animal expert Jack Hanna for a U.S. TV special Gorillas On The Brink. The documentary sees Hanna take Portman on a trek around the same park.