Missing flamingo is killed by fox

Florence was hatched at Drusillas Park in 2004

A flamingo missing for two weeks after being lifted out of her enclosure by a gust of wind has been killed by a fox.

Florence, one of a flock of Chilean flamingos kept at Drusillas Park, in Alfriston, East Sussex, was found dead in nearby Golden Cross on Saturday.

Zoo keepers were called out by a member of the public who found her body.

Drusillas' head keeper, Clare Reed, said she and colleagues were upset at the loss. "There is a very sombre mood in the zoo at the moment," she said.

Daily searches

Florence had not been seen since 15 January, when the freak gust allowed her to take flight from the flamingo lagoon into fields next to the zoo.

She was never taught to fly and her wings had been clipped, but a Drusillas spokeswoman said she "took off with the gust of wind, flapped her wings and found she could fly".

Staff had carried out daily searches, some coming in on their days off or working late into the night.

Zoo manager Sue Woodgate thanked the public for their help in trying to find Florence.

"We only wish that the outcome could have been a happier one," she added.