A flamingo blown out of its zoo enclosure by a freak gust of wind two weeks ago has been eaten by a fox.
Florence the flamingo was sucked into the air from her home at Drusillas Park in Alfriston and dumped in a field.
Attempts by keepers to catch the bird and return it to its enclosure failed, despite numerous sightings of her in nearby villages.
Zoo staff mounted a concerted effort to find the Chilean flamingo and even cancelled their days off in order to take part in the search.
But her body was discovered by a member of the public in a field in Golden Cross on Saturday.
Drusillas head keeper Clare Reed said: "When you work closely with animals it is impossible not to get attached to them and become affected by the loss of one.
"There is a very sombre mood in the zoo at the moment."
Zoo manager Sue Woodgate thanked the public for their assistance.
She said: "We only wish the outcome could have been a happier one."
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