Chinchillas named after Pitt, Jolie

Animal rights group PETA has named a pair of rescued chinchillas after Hollywood couple Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, who got married at the weekend, as a gift to mark the occasion.

The couple wed in secret in France at the weekend and now activists at PETA have honoured the animal-loving pair by naming two newly-free pets after them, reports hollywood.com.

Pitt and Jolie are up for adoption at PETA's Virginia headquarters after the organisation's leaders closed down one of the largest chinchilla ranches in California.

Announcing the furry wedding gift, senior vice president of the animal rights group Lisa Lange said: "Among Brad's and Angelina's kind acts are their animal rescues, as well as making their wardrobes fur-free, so naming two of PETA's rescued chinchillas in their honour seems an apt wedding present."

"We can all follow this couple's great example and help chinchillas like Brad and Angelina by refusing to wear any real animal fur," added Lange.

The pets are two of more than 400 chinchillas rescued from Valley View Chinchilla Ranch, where animals deemed not suitable as pets were electrocuted and skinned so their pelts could be made into bedspreads, coats and scarves.

PETA bosses have sent the newlyweds a letter alerting them to their wedding present.