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."