AMY, the new class mate of Bolton pupils, may not have the best manners and her appearance is a little unusual, but already her new pals have fallen in love with her.

For youngsters at a Bolton school have made friends with an endangered creature in the middle of an African rainforest.

The Year 9 pupils at The Deane School have collected enough money to adopt a gorilla called Amy for 12 months, which is being cared for by the world famous Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund.

Head of year Martin Witter had taken an article about the endangered species into school, but was amazed when the pupils took to the fund-raising idea so enthusiastically.

They collected the £24 needed for the adoption in just two days and were over the moon when the charity sent them a welcome pack complete with a picture of Amy, an adoption certificate -- and a gorilla-sized T-shirt! Amy lives in the misty Virunga volcanoes rainforest in Central Africa and is one of only 650 of the Sabinio group of mountain gorillas left in the world.

The species lives under the constant threat of poaching, disease, loss of habitat and war, but the Dian Fossey charity, which became famous thanks to the Hollywood blockbuster Gorillas In The Mist, which starred Sigourney Weaver, raises funds to provide anti-poaching protection and veterinary care as well as community conservation and education programmes.

Mr Witter said: "The pupils loved the idea of adopting a gorilla because they're so unusual and they all love animals.

"It's nice to think that The Deane is helping to care for an animal so far away.

"We've put Amy's picture up on a noticeboard and everyone at the school has been having a good look at it.

"The children will receive four news bulletins through the year.

"They're too young to know who Dian Fossey was, so I explained and it made them even more interested."