Monkeys get new £500k enclosure at East Sussex zoo
Drusillas Park say it's the biggest investment in their history
An East Sussex zoo has completed what it is calling its biggest ever investment, to house a troop of colobus monkeys.
£500,000 has been spent on the bespoke, conservation-themed habitat at Drusillas Park near Alfriston.
Keepers have said the area, which includes a waterfall for summer months and a heated tree to keep the animals warm in winter, will provide a 'naturalistic' and 'enriching' home.
Work on the project began in September last year, on the site of the former wallaby and agouti habitats, and was completed on time with the troop able to move in last week.
Keepers said the animals have quickly made themselves at home in the facility, which also features a carved rockwork terrace and a hand-painted jungle mural.
The habitat also incorporates a series of jungle-style themed huts, currently being built along the perimeter of the space.
The huts have been included to promote responsible ecotourism, and are intended to resemble kiosks in the colobus native country Africa, where locals sell goods before tourists are taken on eco tours.