London - Naturalist Sir David Attenborough is using technology to help fulfil a sick friend's 30-year-old wish.
On Thursday he launched a global crowdfunding campaign to raise £110 000 (about R1.6-million) to save mountain gorillas in Rwanda. He said his fight to save them began when he first travelled to the country in 1978 to film their plight in the BBC's Life on Earth series.
It was there he met American zoologist Dian Fossey, who convinced him to take up the fight to stop poachers killing gorillas.
“Before we left, Dian was on her sickbed and said: 'Please, please, please help spread the news; there are only 200 of them left in the wild',” Sir David said. “I promised I would do something.”
He sought the help of Fauna and Flora International, to hire security guards to protect gorilla populations and launch education programmes.
The campaign will be run by crowdfunding site Indiegogo. - The Independent