Stunning pictures show the daughter of wildlife magnate Damian Aspinall posing alongside gorillas his charity has rescued.

Released in celebration of World Gorilla Day on Sunday, both Damian and his daughter Freya shared touching images of the 20-year-old model with gorillas Loukelela and Bomassa.

The two primates survived the brutal slaughter of their entire family at the hands of poachers in the Congo, with the team at the Aspinall Foundation intervening to rescue them from their suffering.

In a post to his 117,000 Instagram followers, the conservationist said: “Sharing these wonderful pictures of my daughter Freya with the rewilded gorillas in our reserve in the Congo.

“I don’t think there have ever been pictures of humans and gorillas in a river before so this is the first time this has ever happened. Absolutely amazing.

“Proud we are the only people in the world to rewild gorillas. Over 70.”

The Aspinall Foundation protects and restores more than one million acres of land in the Congo forest in Africa, creating a sanctuary for more than 80 rewilded gorillas.

The Howletts and Port Lympne boss is well-known for his desire to rewild animals - even telling KentOnline last year he eventually wants the zoos to become obsolete.

In a rare interview last February, the 63-year-old confessed it “kills him to see any animal in captivity” and that the animals at the Kent parks “don’t belong here”.

“Animals have as much a right to this planet as we do,” he said.

“All zoos should be phased out in the next 20 to 30 years, there is no need for them. I think there is a need for welfare centres.

“We’re slowly either rescuing animals or only keeping ones we can breed and release.”

Freya, 20, who is a model and animal activist in her own right, told her social media followers the images captured “the unique bond with these gentle giants with whom I grew up and nurtured a deep love and natural understanding”.

“By sharing these powerful images and this story, you have the opportunity to play a crucial role in raising awareness about the importance of rewilding, gorilla conservation, and the protection of their natural habitats,” she added.

Damian’s father John established Howletts as a private zoo in 1957 before opening it to the public in 1975. The following year Port Lympne welcomed its first visitors.

According to the Aspinall Foundation, it has reintroduced more than 70 critically endangered western lowland gorillas in the wild and has been successfully breeding since then with more than 600 animals having been rescued and rewilded.