Zoo spends £500,000 on new monkey enclosure

The eight colobus monkeys at Drusillas Park will move in to their new enclosure in May

Colobus monkeys at an East Sussex zoo will soon move in to a new £500,000 jungle-themed enclosure.

The habitat at Drusillas Park, near Alfriston, will be as close to the monkeys’ natural environment as possible, the zoo said.

It will also include a heated tree for winter, a waterfall for summer and CCTV so staff can monitor the animals' behaviour for research and conservation work.

Drusillas Park hopes the new enclosure will raise funds and awareness for its partner charity Colobus Conservation, which protects colobus monkey habitats in Kenya.

The monkeys will be able to climb high into the trees while visitors look on from a treetop viewing platform

Colobus monkeys live in equatorial Africa. They are hunted for their fur, which has caused their numbers to significantly decline in some areas.

“Every aspect of the new colobus home has been carefully researched and considered, with a strong focus on best practice in animal welfare,” a zoo spokesperson said.

"The new area will provide a naturalistic, enriching home for the colobus, alongside promoting conservation and responsible ecotourism."

People will be able to view the eight monkeys from a treetop platform when the enclosure opens in May.