Drusillas Park pays tribute to 'one of a kind' monkey who died at 27

Junior, a Capuchin monkey, passed away at the park in Berwick at the age of 27 following 14 years of staying at the East Sussex zoo.

In a statement, the park said: “We are deeply saddened to announce that we have said our final goodbyes to beautiful, sweet boy, Junior.

“Capuchins are a truly remarkable species, and Junior was particularly special - he had such a close bond with the team here who are all heartbroken.

“Junior was a true character, one of a kind, and he loved unconditionally. He always made sure to say hello and chat to his keepers and only ever caused the right kind of cheeky trouble. We'll remember him like he was in this photo - poking his little tongue out.

“His passing leaves a huge hole in our family, but we are so glad to have had the privilege to work with such a wonderful monkey. We know that many of our members and day visitors also loved interacting with Junior, who would raise his little eyebrows to greet you all.

“Junior had been an integral part of the Drusillas family for 14 years and reached the grand old age of 27. Junior was our ray of sunshine, and his passing is deeply saddening, in the end old age caught up with him and it was just his time to go.

“Sleep well, Junior, we love you buddy.”