Crawley nature centre pays tribute to resident Shetland pony

Cinnamon had been a resident of Tilgate Nature Centre for a staggering “25 years” before she passed away.

A tribute was paid on the nature centre’s Facebook page by staff.

The tribute said: “We are sad to announce the passing of one of our Shetland ponies, Cinnamon. Cinnamon has been at Tilgate Nature Centre for 25 years, since she was 7 months old and has been greatly loved by the team here.

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“Cinnamon has had ongoing health issues relating to her age. However, despite ongoing veterinary care and the best TLC from our keeping team, Cinnamon has continued to deteriorate in the past couple of weeks and the team has had to make this very difficult decision with our veterinarian present.

“We know Cinnamon will be missed by our visitors, as some of you would have seen her when you were young, and she has been a real character throughout her time here! During her time at Tilgate, Cinnamon has shared her field with Nutmeg, our other Shetland, with our two donkeys joining them in 2011. The team will be keeping a close eye on the rest of her ‘herd’ to make sure that they are coping with her passing.

“During this difficult time for our keepers, we welcome you to share memories and/or pictures with us on this post so we can remember her long life here at Tilgate.

“You will be missed, Cinnamon.”