LONGLEAT safari park is mourning the loss of keeper Bob Trollope who has died aged 49.

Mr Trollope was well known at Longleat and also appeared in the TV series Animal Park.

Longleat posted a tribute to Mr Trollope on its Facebook page and said that “his dedication to those in his care and especially to his beloved lions was recognised and respected by everyone”.

Animal Park aired from 2000 to 2009 and documented the work the keepers did at Longleat.

The safari park described Mr Trollope as their “very own celebrity” and have said that their thoughts and condolences go to his wife Sue and his family, “who like us have memories of a big man with a big heart”.

More than 2,500 people have commented on Longleat’s post describing Mr Trollope as a “fantastic man” who “will be sorely missed”.

Longleat ended the post with “we have lost a truly wonderful person, an amazing colleague and a very dear friend”.